When did the rains start beating Gachagua aka Riggy G?
The 'truthful man of God,' as he often refers to himself, finds himself in hot soup for his involvement in promoting tribal politics. The DP's public utterances, which included 'shareholders government,' depicted the man as a tribalist who only pushed the interests of one tribeâ€"Kikuyuâ€"rather than fronting the interests of the entire Kenyan people.
Some of the politicians pushing for his impeachment also claim that Gachagua clandestinely supported the deadly Gen-Z protests that ensued in June. The peaceful protests were hijacked by goons who looted supermarkets and shops, resulting in violent confrontations with the police and leading to dozens of deaths. Even a layman knows that the event of June 25, which led to the capture of the National Assembly and Senate premises, wasn't just a normal protest.
DP Gachagua's miscalculated moves on his bossâ€"it's reckless and uncalled for to undermine and blackmail the sitting Head of State. If I say that DP Gachagua's goose is cooked, I wouldn't be wrong, and I wouldn't face any form of contradiction. My submission is substantiated by the fact that his conduct against his boss is intolerable. There was no way Mr. Gachagua would sit in the Cabinet, agree on the policies and programs with President Ruto, and later oppose meeting resolutions.
The DP also crossed the line when he launched a scathing attack on the Head of the National Intelligence Service, Noordin Haji. He labelled him incompetent over alleged failure to inform the President about the violent Gen-Z protests. However, the man had done his job, and if there were reasons to believe that the spy chief was playing with such a sensitive docket, the Head of State would not have hesitated to kick him out.
Will Gachagua survive the guillotine?
Despite his link to capital offenses bordering on treason, including claims that he was leaking state secrets, the man from Mathira still stands a chance to survive impeachment. In a constitutional democracy like Kenya, everybody has the right to be heard. The DP petitioned the High Court of Kenya to stop his impeachment proceedings, which are underway in the Senate. The court will have to interrogate the process, assess its constitutionality, and deliver the ruling.
Furthermore, there is another avenue for Gachagua's survival, and that's if he persuades members of the Senate to vote in his favour. If the motion fails to garner two-thirds of the Senators, Gachagua will have succeeded against a well-planned and coordinated plan to oust him.
However, many people believe the DP won't survive the impeachment, owing to various tangible reasons, including his limited numerical strength both in the Upper and Lower Houses, despite having a robust legal team that is arguing his case.
In my opinion, Mr. Riggy G has crossed the Rubicon. His impeachment will, beyond any reasonable doubt, yield success. My advice to the 'Son of Mau Mau' is to resign and save his political career. He might stand good chances come 2027, as an impeachment would mean a vote of no confidence to occupy any public office in the future.
The author is a commentator who dissects matters- politics, governance, security & economics.
Sam A. Sewanyana-Jr
