The split between President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua is reaching a crescendo that could trigger major political realignments.
Ruto’s top allies, including Cabinet Secretaries, have taken on Gachagua, publicly calling him a ‘divisive character’.
The public falling out on Wednesday found its way into Parliament where a group of MPs openly censured the Deputy President’s latest political moves as “drama stretched too far”.
“Yesterday [Tuesday] was a bit embarrassing, it was a shame to see the Deputy President moving around, carrying some bag, even if one wants to pull a PR stunt, the trend the country is taking will take us back to 2007,” warned Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro.
In Parliament, Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah suggested Gachagua could quietly be mobilising MPs to shoot down President Ruto’s Finance Bill 2024.
“The clueless governor for Nyeri debating the Finance Bill and saying he would vote No as if he votes in this House…I know the people sending you [governor] are the same characters who are trying to mobilise MPs, and I must thank members of this Honourable House because they have refused to be incited against the Finance Bill,” Ichung’wah said.
Gachagua had on Tuesday taken a commercial flight to Mombasa, carrying a huge suitcase by himself.
This came after reports emerged that the government had prohibited the DP from using military choppers.
On the same day, Public Service CS Moses Kuria took on him, saying his brand of politics will isolate the people of Mt Kenya.
“Even if I unite the people of Mt Kenya, then what? It pains me because even the Bible says condemned are the people who mislead the people of God. He [Gachagua] is misleading the people of Mt Kenya. He is a divisive figure. He is going to lead to the isolation of our people,” Kuria said on Citizen TV.
On Wednesday, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki also took a swipe at Gachagua without naming him directly, saying the country cannot develop through regional biases.
“The greatest enemy of our nation is division that comes through ethnicity. Our country is one and no part of Kenya will develop without other parts of Kenya,” he said.
It remains unclear how Gachagua would discipline his juniors who are constantly criticizing him.
During the Jubilee regime, the bitter divorce between Deputy President Ruto and his boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta came at the tail end of their tenure.
In Parliament, Nyando MP Jared Okelo first sought answers on the funding of Gachagu’s office in the face of the unfolding political drama and division.
“Yesterday to my dismay, the Deputy President took a commercial flight to Mombasa, when this House appropriates and budgets for offices including that of the DP. At no given time have we envisioned DP taking a commercial flight,” Okelo said.
“The Majority leader should shed more light on the issue.”
But Ruto’s men dismissed the DP as ‘a king of drama’ who is seeking political sympathy.
Led by Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah and Chief Whip Silvanus Osoro, the lawmakers chided the Deputy President.
While Ichung’wah said the DP is adequately facilitated, he also downplayed the Tuesday commercial airline incident as normal.
“It is not unusual for DP to travel on our national career. I have seen holders of that office, including our now-President, using commercial flights. I witnessed when he was DP, Ruto not only used Kenya Airways he used Jambojet, Safarilink to Eldoret and Masaai Mara,” Ichung’wah said.
“It is not unusual, what is unusual was the DP carrying a brand-new bag that could not fit in the internal luggage compartment.”
Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie, while castigating the second-in-command, said the events of Tuesday were blown out of proportion.
“The DP is on record stating he is a product of a drama festival, only a day ago he attended the Bahati show,” Kiarie said.
But Manyatta MP Mukunji Gitonga – an ally of the DP – called for respect of senior leaders, demanding that Ichung’wah owes the house a clarification on why Gachagua used a commercial flight to Mombasa.
“I was worried to see our Deputy President carry his own bag, I feel this is something the Majority leader must clarify to the House,” Mukunji said in Parliament.
Ichung’wah further assured the country of DP’s security, saying he was accompanied by at least 14 bodyguards, including the elite Recce squad, personal assistants, bloggers and photographers in the KQ flight.
The Cabinet appears to have been drawn into the Cabinet Secretaries now openly taking on the country’s second in command.
Recently, CS Kipchumba Murkomen (Transport) and Moses Kuria (Public Service) have criticised the DP, triggering talk the President could have unleashed his Cabinet on his Deputy.
Last week, Murkomen – a close ally of the President – and Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga – Gachagua’s defender – took on each other at a church event.
Kahiga hit out at Murkomen and other officers in government and UDA for mistreating and betraying ‘our son’ – Gachagua.
But Murkomen fired back at the Governor, accusing him of fuelling the division in the Kenya Kwanza government.
“Mr Governor, you have let me down. Are you helping the DP or fighting him? You speak as if you are defending him but at the same time you are opposing the government he is serving,” he said.
Tellingly, the President has not – at least publicly – condemned the officers for engaging in political talks, contrary to the law.
On Monday, Ruto met MPs from Meru county, a move seen as am effort to persuade the lawmakers, and the region, to turn against the DP.
In yet another move, the President moved swiftly on Tuesday to address his troubles with his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, over the facilitation for the former President’s office.
Ruto and Uhuru are believed not to have spoken since 2022, but the President called Uhuru.
Recently, Gachagua has apologised to Uhuru and sought to reconcile with him following their falling out in the run-up to the 2022 general election. Gachagua was the attack dog, the hatchet man against Kenyatta.
Observers say a unity pact between Uhuru and Gachagua would deal a blow to Ruto’s political fortunes in Mt Kenya.
Ruto and Gachagua have clashed over the DP’s call for one man one vote one shilling revenue sharing call as a bid to unite Mt Kenya.
The President has dismissed the calls as divisive and discriminatory and censured the DP for perpetrating regional and ethnic politics. Ruto and his troops have called for national unity.
On Monday, Ichung’wah took on the DP in Kiambaa, Kiambu county.
Ichung’wah, who was presiding over the launch of Kiambaa Technical Training Institute, accused Gachagua of scheming against MPs who do not toe his line.
“Don’t bring any trouble to this meeting. Even if you have been sent by the Deputy President or Wamatangi, don't cause disturbances at a peaceful gathering.
“We are aware of the plans being made here in Mt Kenya to ensure these MPs do not perform their duties.
“I want to say it is not the Deputy President, the governor, the MCA, or you as a young man being used who will stop the development work for the people of Kiambaa.
“I know there are plans to ensure that politicians who support William Ruto will not hold meetings in Mt Kenya,” he said.
Earlier, Ichung’wah told off Deputy President Gachagua over his Mt Kenya unity bid, asking him to stop preaching regional, divisive politics.
“If we truly believe that we hold offices that bestow on you the role of being a symbol of national unity, seek to unite the people of Kenya not the people of Mt Kenya,” he said.