Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Monday, October 7 stood firm on his shareholding remarks, even sensationally claiming that former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga was a beneficiary of the government’s ‘shares’.
In a no-holds-barred press conference at the official DP’s residence in Karen, Gachagua reaffirmed his decision to soften his stance on Raila, away from the stance he previously took over the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader competing for the same position in government as Ruto.
“My decision to embrace the broad-based government following the decision of the Cabinet after the Gen Z protests is that I support coalition building and even when Raila Odinga came, he got some shares,” he claimed with confidence.
I support coalition building and even when Raila Odinga came, he got some shares- DP Rigathi Gachagua#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/Pw1ZpEvn55
— Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) October 7, 2024
It is worth noting that ODM on September 21 took offence to Gachagua’s remarks during a live Citizen TV interview the previous night, labelling them as an expression of jealousy over the broad-based government.
ODM Party Chairperson Gladys Wanga had at the time said that the DP was not happy about the inclusion of former ODM party officials into the government.
Wanga, the Homa Bay County Governor, argued that Gachagua had all along protected the government against “infiltration” by those opposed to its formation. “It’s all about shareholding that brought that bile Kenyans watched on TV,” stated Wanga.
However, Gachagua responded by wondering “Surely, why is Gachagua being vilified for just being truthful?”, arguing that he was being politically targeted for verbally firing on all cylinders as he had never been summoned by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) in his current capacity.
“You know it’s good to be truthful. I have heard that my saying that we observe this agreement is a threat to national unity, I have never been called by NCIC to tell me that I have said something that can create ethnic disharmony,” he went on.
Gachagua also scoffed at rumours of him stepping down from his position amid the impeachment motion against him over a raft of allegations among them gross misconduct.
In the DP ouster bid pushed by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, Gachagua is accused of making inciteful remarks, undermining President William Ruto and the Cabinet, interfering with the leadership of the Nairobi County government, attacking High Court Judge Esther Maina, and bullying, among others.
Gachagua thus deemed as nonsense numerous calls for his resignation from a section of the public and politicians.
“I was elected by 7.2 million Kenyans; how dare you suggest I resign without public participation? I have no intention of resigning from this job. I will fight until the end,” he told journalists, maintaining that he has been “loyal” to his boss, President Ruto.
