Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was on Saturday forced to use a private chopper to travel to Bungoma for the Madaraka Day celebrations after President William Ruto’s lieutenants denied him a military bird.
According to our sources, Gachagua wanted to use a military chopper but Defence CS, Aden Duale, and Ruto using his proxies like Kapsaret MP Oscar Sudi and his aide Farouk Kibet turned down his request.
Without argument, Gachagua telephoned Communication Authority chairperson Mary Wambui and hired her chopper to fly him to Bungoma and later to Nanyuki
Ruto’s government, while trying to explain why they denied him a chopper, said they couldn’t allow him to travel with the chopper due to bad weather.
Gachagua had been using a police chopper that he took over in 2023 after a protracted resistance from police.
This was after the chopper, which had been purchased for surveillance, was turned in for VIP use.
The chopper is now grounded after a military pilot who had been flying Gachagua was ‘recalled’ to Kenya Airforce.
