President William Ruto.
President William Ruto on Monday maintained studious silence as his close allies began the process of hounding Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua out of office.
Dr Ruto has equally kept off discussions on the impeachment motion, which his embattled deputy believes has his blessings.
National Assembly Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wah and other close allies of the President have been at the forefront in the collection of signatures to initiate the DP’s removal from office.
A total of 291 Members of Parliament, mostly from the President’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement, appended their signatures to the motion.
In a recent interview, Mr Gachagua laid bare the power struggle that has rocked the two-year-old Kenya Kwanza administration. He revealed how he confronted President Ruto about the scheme to kick him out of office, a claim, he said, the President denied.
“There is no motion of impeachment against the Deputy President that can find its way the floor of the house unless the President gives the nod. Nobody else has the capacity to push it apart from the President,” said Mr Gachagua.
The DP made the remarks when the President was away in New York, USA attending the United Nations General Assembly.
Remained silent
Even after jetting back into the country on Saturday, Dr Ruto has remained silent over the matter.
The President’s allies had initially indicated plans for a Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting, which was to be chaired by the Head of State, but it was shelved in what sources indicated was designed to have Dr Ruto steer away from the process.
Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse on Monday issued notice of the motion on the floor of the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, the President, on his social media handles, posted about Climate WorX mtaani, which he launched recently in Nairobi.
“Pleased to note that the Climate WorX Mtaani Initiative, which we launched last month, has officially begun. I look forward to visiting a fully rehabilitated Nairobi River that will serve as a commercial and recreational asset. This initiative will not only enhance the image of our city but also provide employment for 20,000 youth within Nairobi and 200,000 across the country when rolled out to other areas,” said the President.
He had earlier shared a video of community health promoters, highlighting his plan on healthcare, which is currently going through reforms, among them shifting from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
Power struggles
But it is no secret that the President and the DP have fallen out. Their power struggles have in the recent past played out in public.
In a recent interview on Citizen TV, Mr Gachagua opened up about his deteriorating working relationship with the President. He revealed that he had been blocked from accessing the President’s diary.
“We have a diary for the President. My private secretary, my chief of staff and I could access it. I was able to align by programme with his. But I think about a week ago, we were removed from that diary. So, we are not able to follow exactly what is going on. So, we are not able to align,” said Mr Gachagua.
“I want to ask the people who work around the presidency not to create conflict between the President and myself. I am the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, elected by the people. And I am the principal assistant of the President. It is only right and fair that I have access to the presidential diary so that I align my diary with his diary because he's the boss. But if I'm in the dark and I don't know what is happening, I am not an angel to know exactly where the President will be, at what time. It's not right,” he added.
