Cracks in Kenya Kwanza became clear about five months ago when reports of a planned impeachment of Gachagua first emerged, but faded away in the wake of Gen Z-led protests.
After calm returned, reports of a renewed plan to remove the DP emerged again. Now, some leaders from his Mt Kenya backyard are already scheming to isolate him.
Faced with similar situations, three former VPs opted to resign when they clashed with the bosses
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who was Kenya’s first VP, resigned in 1966 when his ideologies and those of the founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta clashed.
Joseph Murumbi was appointed by Kenyatta to succeed Jaramogi but he later resigned after 120 days, citing personal reasons.
Josephat Karanja, the fifth VP resigned to avoid an ongoing vote of no-confidence in Parliament.
Luanda MP Dickson Maungu said that most leaders who have held the position have not had a smooth run with the president.
“I think this position is cursed because I cannot remember the last time the seat did not face such problems. Every single one of them has faced turbulence,” he said.
He was however quick to point out that Gachagua’s case is different since he was not appointed to the position but elected.
“He was not appointed but elected and there are people who believe in him. This means it is highly unlikely that he might resign. He will not resign or move out but face the problem from within,” Maungu said.
“The impeachment is back but only time will tell if they have the numbers to remove him.”
MPs allied to Gachagua have alleged a renewed plan by a section of the Kenya Kwanza lawmakers to remove the DP.
Reports indicate that the Kenya Kwanza leadership in the National Assembly has already received an impeachment motion.
The motion could be tabled before Parliament sooner than later, according to the reports.
However, the reports have further said some lawmakers from the United Democratic Alliance, ODM, Wiper and independent parties met on Monday night in a bid to stop Gachagua's ouster.
The renewed plan to impeach the DP comes hardly a week after more than 60 legislators from the Mt Kenya region and Nairobi expressed their support for Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki.
MPs, led by National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichungwa and Finance committee chairperson Kuria Kimani, said they are breaking ranks with the DP because “Mt Kenya region risks suffering lack of development with stalled projects”.
MCAs drawn from 12 counties also announced that they have settled on Kindiki as their link to President William Ruto, further isolating Gachagua.
The ward reps, who convened in Murang’a, said Kindiki will be their focal point and link to the national government on matters of their welfare, leadership and region’s development.
“We have confidence in Kindiki’s competence, experience and capacity to advance our region’s development needs together with the interests of all the other regions, resulting in a country that develops as a whole, for the prosperity and benefit of all our citizens,” they said in a statement .
The MCAs were drawn from Murang’a, Kiambu, Nairobi, Laikipia, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Embu, Nyandarua, Nakuru, Isiolo, Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties.
More than 2,000 Njuri Ncheke elders and youth from Mt Kenya joined the bandwagon and backed calls by the political class.
Kigumo MP Joseph Munyoro has, however, come to the defence of Gachagua, saying he's still Mt Kenya supremo.
The MP said it's foolhardy for the leaders to claim to be advocating for national unity while advancing divisive agendas in their own backyard.
“Unless and until the Deputy President formally informs us of his inability to advocate for the rights of our region, we shall continue to stand by him as our highest representative in this administration,” Munyoro said.
Political analyst Mark Bichachi said Gachagua “has no choice but to play ball.”
“He is not exactly the most experienced politician. He does not have experience to weave through the issues he is facing. Still, he does not have enough allies,” he said.
Bichachi said the DP is at the mercy of the President, whom he said is the only person who can help him politically.
“Only the President can save him and not ODM. The Orange party cannot vote against the President at this time,” he added.
Bichachi said the seat is problematic because it does not have a proper role.
“He (DP) does not have anything specific to do, just assisting the President. If we give the DP specific roles, then the problem will go away.”
Saboti MP Caleb Amisi has, however, cautioned MPs from the Mt Kenya region against underestimating Gachagua.
He has warned that the DP will send the Mt Kenya MPs home in 2027 if they don’t manage to impeach him.
“Central MPs caucus is making Gachagua popular for free, and for no apparent reason, by making him a subject of rallies every day. If you don't impeach Gachagua now, he will impeach all of you in 2027 without mercy. Never wrestle with a pig in the mud, you will get dirty, but the pig will enjoy it,” he said.
“There is a lot to talk about in this country, not Gachagua every day. This is how Ruto was made popular in the same region.”
The second in command has not come out to directly comment on the impeachment plans.
"Let us reduce high-octane politics in the Mt Kenya region. The other regions are calm and not focusing on politics. The voters will decide in the next election cycle. Let us also be kind and of good deeds all the time and work on the development,” he said in Kirinyaga last week
Former Laikipia Woman Representative Cate Waruguru has also waded into the debate, warning leaders from Mt Kenya against attacking the DP.
Waruguru said the DP supported some of the MPs now insulting him in the 2022 election.
“Some leaders in Mt Kenya all they do from morning to evening is insult Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua,” she said.
She added that the DP cannot not be edged out of the government as he went to all corners of Mt Kenya and the entire country hunting for votes.
“It cannot be that we contributed to the election of this administration and then we are kicked out or we leave,” Waruguru said.
President Daniel Moi perhaps suffered the most humiliation, harassment, intimidation and threats as VP but he did not resign.
Moi was seen as a toothless VP who was regarded as an outsider in Kenyatta’s exclusively Kikuyu inner circle.
In his book, The Making of An African Statesman, Andrew Morton said the all-powerful police commandant in charge of then Rift Valley province, James Mungai, loved to humiliate Moi.
Morton cites an incident in 1975, when Moi returned from an Organisation for African Union meeting in Kampala, only for Mungai to accuse him of bringing guns to overthrow Mzee.
Mungai is said to have conducted a vigorous search for the weapons, ordering his men to examine Moi’s offices.
The search was said to be so rigorous that involved asking Moi to strip.
Morton said the disrespect and humiliation was too much that the police commandant, on two occasions, slapped Moi on the face in front of Kenyatta at State House in Nakuru.
George Saitoti was Kenya's sixth VP. Saitoti became the longest sitting VP serving for 13 years between May 1989 and January 1998 and again between April 1999 and August 2002.
After the 1997 general election, Moi failed to name a VP for 14 months, which became a huge embarrassment to Saitoti.
