Cheruiyot: Gachagua Wanted No Politician Close to Ruto

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s insecurities and greed led to his downfall, according to Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot

In an exclusive interview with TV47’s Elizabeth Mutuku, Senator Cheruiyot noted that during Gachagua’s time as the second in command, there came a point when he could not tolerate any other politician being near President William Ruto except for himself.

When President Ruto was selecting his running mate for the 2022 General Election, it is said that over 90% of MPs and politicians from the Mt Kenya region preferred Prof. Kithure Kindiki to Gachagua. This situation, according to Senator Cheruiyot, caused Gachagua to develop insecurities, setting him on a conflict trajectory with nearly everyone in the Kenya Kwanza Coalition.

Another issue that had Gachagua on edge, Senator Cheruiyot mentioned, was when Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro began traveling across the country alongside other MPs. Cheruiyot stated that Gachagua perceived this as blatant insubordination.

“Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro started touring the country, and there were rumors that the president was supporting him. The truth is, the president was not backing him. This greatly angered Gachagua, prompting him to tell politicians, myself included, to inform the president to stop supporting Ndindi Nyoro,” said Cheruiyot.

Cheruiyot also claimed that Gachagua and his associates exploited the Gen Z anti-government protests nationwide to promote his selfish interests.

Amid these protests, demonstrators invaded Parliament buildings, setting parts of it on fire and vandalizing property of unknown value. Cheruiyot contends that those responsible for the vandalism were not genuine protesters, but rather thugs deployed by the aforementioned politician to compromise otherwise peaceful demonstrations.

“The strategy of those politicians who exploited the authentic Gen Z protests was to storm the Parliament building, set it ablaze, stir emotions among Kenyans, and ultimately seek to overthrow the government. ”

Gachagua was ultimately impeached by both Houses (National Assembly and Senate) on 17th October 2024, and succeeded by Prof. Kithure Kindiki.