Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed President William Ruto's allegations that the opposition is orchestrating his removal from office through violence and destruction of property as baseless.
The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) party leader asked Dr Ruto to exercise restraint and address the root causes of the ongoing protests sweeping across the country.
Speaking just hours after the President made the claims, Mr Gachagua said the opposition is instead focused on making Mr Ruto a one-term president.
“Mr President, nobody wants to throw you out. Nobody wants to overthrow your government or remove you from power through unconstitutional means. I, and the people I work with, are on record that we want to remove you from State House through the ballot in 2027,” Mr Gachagua said.
He accused the President of using the allegations to distract Kenyans from the police brutality and excessive force witnessed during recent Gen Z and Saba Saba demonstrations and to persecute critics of his administration.
“Please relax. We want you to serve your one term. Nobody is planning to remove you unconstitutionally and there is no leader here plotting a coup and none has the capacity,” he said.
While addressing a function in Nairobi’s Kilimani area on Wednesday, President Ruto had alleged that there were attempts to remove him from office through violence and chaos, adding that such attempts would not succeed under the rule of law.
“This is a democratic country. I want to tell those characters—those giving us lectures—that if they think they can change this administration through unlawful means or violence before 2027, let them try,” President Ruto said. The remarks prompted Mr Gachagua’s swift response.
Mr Gachagua argued that the current turmoil in the country stems from government policies and punitive taxes, which he said have hurt many Kenyans who are now waiting to vote President Ruto out in 2027.
On the recent destruction of property during protests, Mr Gachagua claimed that police officers protected armed goons who were sent to cause mayhem and then blame leaders from certain regions for sponsoring the violence.
The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader also contrasted the current regime with previous administrations, saying that the Kenya Kwanza government has failed to uphold the rule of law.
“Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta were guided by the Constitution and rule of law. They did not capture constitutional institutions to serve their interests instead of serving Kenyans. They never killed children, attempted to build churches at State House, or organised militias to destroy private property,” he said.
"State-sponsored thuggery"
He further claimed that unleashing goons on businesses instead of addressing citizens' grievances signals defeat by the government.
He urged Kenyan business owners, especially in Mt Kenya and other regions, to come together and protect their enterprises from what he described as state-sponsored thuggery.
“We urge our business people to heighten security surveillance at their premises and production lines, especially KTDA, coffee factories, and milk processors,” Mr Gachagua said.
Mr Gachagua also announced that he would be travelling to the US to engage with Kenyans in the diaspora as part of a campaign to expand his political reach.
“I’ve been threatened by people close to William Ruto. Today I received reports that they want to stop me from leaving the country. I have no problem with that. If you want to arrest me at the airport as you’re threatening, go ahead. You cannot sell fear to us,” he said.
He added that the opposition was in the process of assembling a legal team to represent young people arrested during the Saba Saba demonstrations.
