President William Ruto speaks during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Kwale Stadium on October 20, 2024.
President William Ruto has criticised ethnic balkanisation and directed an end to the politics of alienation, charges that were central to the impeachment by Parliament of Rigathi Gachagua as deputy president.
Speaking at the Kwale Stadium during Mashujaa Day celebrations Sunday, Dr Ruto said independence heroes did not fight for individual tribes and therefore, the same spirit should be passed to all future generations.
"In confronting colonialism, Mekatilili wa Menza did not seek to free her village or region from occupation by a community. Instead, she resisted the structures and institutions of a system of exploitation and tyranny in the knowledge that defeating it would free a whole nation. This is the same spirit embraced by other freedom fighters," he said.
Although the president did not directly mention impeached deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, his comments and choice of words seemed to counter Mr Gachagua’s stand on fighting for his Mt Kenya political backyard.
Prior to his impeachment last week, Mr Gachagua had been consistent in his calls for Mt Kenya to get a fair share of resources as per its contribution to the votes that brought the Kenya Kwanza coalition to power.
The region together with Rift Valley voted massively for Kenya Kwanza in 2022.
Similarly, Mr Gachagua had been insisting on the one-man-one-vote formula of sharing revenues to counties, claiming that the current formula is unfair to populous regions such as those in Central.
His fights for the Mt Kenya region were among the factors produced in an impeachment motion by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse before the National Assembly.
Mr Gachagua was criticised for failing to be a national leader despite his crucial position as deputy president.
Dr Ruto said Kenyans must embrace lessons of equality from the freedom fighters.
"The great lesson that has been passed down to us from their era, and which we must faithfully transmit clearly and boldly to future generations, is that every citizen of Kenya is a full and equal member of our political community, entitled to make a contribution to nation building, and with an inalienable right to a full, just and fair share of all the benefits that accrue from our development.
"No proposition to discriminate or to unjustly diminish one while enlarging another's rights is admissible. Therefore, any formula seeking to exclude, alienate, or disenfranchise any person, group, or community for any reason is repugnant to the very essence of our nationhood," he said.
Mr Gachagua’s impeachment left a void that was evident at the national Mashujaa Day celebrations.
Ordinarily, the deputy president is the one who welcomes the president when he arrives at national events and proceeds to invite him to address the nation.
At the national Mashujaa Day celebrations, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, whose nomination as deputy president was passed by the National Assembly, is the one who welcomed President Ruto at the event.
Unlike other CSs, the vehicle in which Prof Kindiki was driven was allowed access into the stadium up to the dais as he was introduced as the Deputy President Nominee.
Prof Kindiki arrived at the event with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who was given the mandate to invite the president to make his speech.
The only other dignitaries who were driven into the stadium were President Ruto, first lady Rachael Ruto, Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, and his Senate counterpart Amason Kingi.
In his short speech before inviting the president, Mr Mudavadi recognised Prof Kindiki as the nominated deputy president, while seeking to assure the nation that there is no void in government.
“Kenya is truly an amazing country. All our institutions have shown that democracy is important and according to the constitution, we have proved that these institutions are working well. We are here and this shows that Kenya will continue upholding democracy,” said Mr Mudavadi.
Even though Prof Kindiki's nomination as deputy president was passed by the National Assembly, the High Court put brakes on his swearing-in after an application challenging the replacement of Mr Gachagua.
