•Ngilu appeared to suggest that Gachagua ticks all the wrong boxes when assessing his capabilities to be a Deputy President of Kenya.
•She claimed Gachagua is a liability to Ruto because his utterances make the DP lose votes.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu now says Deputy President William Ruto was forced to settle on Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua as his presidential running mate.
While reacting to a video of Gachagua saying the Ukambani region has no votes to produce a president, Ngilu appeared to suggest Gachagua ticks all the wrong boxes when assessing his capabilities to be a Deputy President of Kenya.
She claimed Gachagua is a liability to Ruto because his utterances make the DP lose votes.
"There is no way William Samoei Ruto picked the DO for running mate out of his own free will. He must have been held hostage in some type of way. Otherwise, how else would anyone justify a choice that loses you votes every time he opens his mouth to speak? Disastrous," Ngilu said in a Tweet.
Gachagua's video was taken last year.
“Wacha tuongee ukweli… kura ya Kitui, Makueni, Machakos 1.5 million kuna pahali inaweza enda?" Gachagu asked the people of Makueni.
This loosely translates to: "Let us speak the truth. Kitui, Makueni and Machakos have 1.5 million votes, can that take someone somewhere?"
In another attack aimed at Gachagua, Ngilu shared another video of Gachagua explaining that the Mt Kenya region loves money.
In the video, Gachagua appeared to suggest that the Mt Kenya region easily backed Ruto because of money.
"Nitaanza kufundisha nyinyi mambo ya pesa. Hii pesa ni kitu mzuri, pesa ni sabuni ya roho, na nimvunja mlima. Na ndio Kwa sababu kule kwetu mlima tunapenda pesa. Ndio sababu tumesikilizana na kijana yenu William Ruto," he said.
Loosely translates to: "I'll start teaching you about money. Money is good, it cleans the heart and breaks the mountain. That is why in the Mt Kenya region we love money. It is because of that that we have been able to agree with your son William Ruto".
The Mathira MP was addressing the Nandi economic forum meeting last week.
The remarks seemingly irked Ngilu who reacted to them by saying:
"Dear Kenyans, these are not gaffes. This is exactly who the other side is, after all, he is their number two. When you vote please remember that. Also, please remember, it's your money they are talking about," Ngilu said.
The choice of Gachagua as Ruto's running mate has elicited mixed reactions across the political divide.
He has made remarks that have been billed as a disadvantage to the DP who is banking on him to consolidate the Mt Kenya region votes.