Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has lashed out at President William Ruto, telling him to respect the presidency and desist from insulting those who fault his administration over some of its unpopular policies.
In what appears to be a bare knuckle confrontation, Mr Gachagua told his former boss "enough is enough" and threatened to mobilise his supporters to block major highways in street protests should the Head of State continue to disrespect those who propelled him to power.
“Our silence should not be misinterpreted to mean we are cowards. We shall no longer take the insults, intimidation and sacking of senior people in government from this region. If the President does not heed our warning, our supporters are now ready to pour into the streets and make this country ungovernable,” Mr Gachagua said in Laikipia County on Monday.
Mr Gachagua told the mourners who were attending the burial ceremony of the late William Ndiritu, father to Laikipia Senator John Kinyua at Kiamariga village that some of the utterances from the Head of State were demeaning a dignified office that stands out as a symbol of national unity.
“When you resort to abuses, insulting the people of Kenya and you are the president, you are demeaning that office. I appreciate that you are very unhappy that things are not working out, that you have messed up the economy and that you are stuck, but that does not allow you to demean that office by abusing the people who elected you.
“You are profiling communities, calling people from Mt Kenya tribalists, people from Ukambani ndengu farmers and those in Isiolo drug peddlers. Mr President, be careful, I have listened to the ground and people are unhappy and have said if you continue, they will also abuse you,” said the former DP.
He claimed that close allies of the President are alarmed by his (Mr Gachagua’s) growing influence beyond the Mt Kenya region and that an evil plot to tame him has been hatched.
“They have planned to arrest and subject me to the same fate as former opposition leader Kenneth Matiba who was given a jab of a poisonous drug. We are warning them that if they dare continue with these plans, they should be ready to face the wrath of Kenyans,” he alleged.
The burial ceremony presided over by Catholic clergy was turned into a political theatre with Ruto and Gachagua camps clashing openly with the mourners heckling those deemed to be supporting the government.
Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri, his Laikipia North counterpart Sarah Korere and Laikipia Women Rep Jane Kagiri, all allies of President Ruto, were heckled when they rose to address the mourners.
It was the first time in many months that the pro-government leaders were sharing a public platform with the impeached deputy president and had a difficult moment delivering their speeches but managed to put up brave faces amidst the jeering.
Despite the open hostility from the crowd, the trio maintained they would stick with President Ruto saying it was the only way their regions would gain from development projects.
At one point, Ms Korere lost her cool, hitting out at the organisers of the ceremony for allowing use of Kikuyu language in a cosmopolitan county.
“You have all along been speaking in Kikuyu as if this is Nyeri County. I am a Catholic faithful and where I come from, mourners do not engage in sideshows. You can continue dismissing me using your hands but I do not give a damn,” said the Laikipia North MP while reiterating that she was a loyal supporter of President Ruto.
The burial ceremony was attended by over a dozen lawmakers allied to the former DP from Nakuru, Kajiado, Nairobi, Nyandarua, Kiambu, Murang’a and Nyeri counties. Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah and his Kitui counterpart Enoch Wambua were also present, together with two MPs from Kitui county who delivered a condolence message from Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
