Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is in Eldoret to grace the ordination of a Catholic cleric.
Gachagua landed in Uasin Gishu on Saturday, May 25, to grace the ordination of Reverend Monsignor John Lelei of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret.
He said he was in the event to represent President William Ruto as the chief guest.Ruto was away on his state visit to the United States.
“On behalf of our president, H.E Dr William Ruto, I joined the Catholic Faithful, led by the Vatican Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya Archbishop Hubertus Van Megen, for the Episcopal Ordination of Rev Monsignor John Lelei of the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret, at the Mother of Apostles Seminary Grounds, Uasin Gishu County,” said Gachagua.
In the company of the deputy president were other ranking leaders and politicians from Rift Valley; among them Uasin Gishu governor Jonathan Bii, Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs Simon Chelugui, Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang, Uasin Gishu senator Jackson Mandago, Uasin Gishu Woman Rep Gladys Boss, Kesses MP Julius Rutto and Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, and Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet.Gachagua’s latest presence at Ruto’s home turf came in the midst of presumed frosty relations between him and the president.
A section of Gachagua’s loyalists from the Nairobi metropolis and Mt Kenya are on record claiming there was a plot from Ruto’s backyard to undermine Gachagua.
Among them is Embakasi North MP James Gakuya who strongly asserted that there was a plot from the president’s backyard to elbow Gachagua out of power.
“There is a scheme being cooked in Rift Valley to frustrate the deputy president. They should be careful; they cannot teach the mountain how to go about our political business. They should know that we have our right to support whoever we deem fit,” Gakuya said.
The claims flew in the wake of Gachagua’s conspicuous absence from state events presided over by Ruto.
