They defied the odds to win power in the 2022 presidential election.
But it is now official that the relationship between President William Ruto and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua , will never be the same - whether the deputy survives impeachment or not.
Read: How MPs voted during DP Rigathi Gachagua impeachment
Politics is sometimes said to be the art of the impossible, with no permanent friends and no enemies, but many analysts who spoke to Nation.Africa say that regardless of the outcome of the motion, the relationship between President Ruto and Mr Gachagua may be irreparable because of the mistrust between their camps.
In short, things will never be the same for the duo who crafted the effective hustler narrative that propelled them to an unlikely election victory.
Political analyst Javas Bigambo argues that the way President Ruto's lieutenants have handled the impeachment motion so far, the relationship between the DP and his boss appears to be "irreparably broken".
“By way of his (DP’s) condescending remarks, brazenly chastising the president and political bravado, Gachagua crossed the rubicon, and the relationship with Ruto got irreparably broken,” Mr Bigambo told Nation.Africa .
He went on: “There’s no longer trust and respect between them. Gachagua mistook his growing influence in Mt Kenya for political indispensable capital, and evidently, his judgement was wrong. He can only test his political influence by resigning and facing off with Ruto in a contest, or endure the indignity of impeachment and lose his future in politics altogether.”
Tharaka MP George Murugara said that by impeaching Mr Gachagua, the House would only be respecting the will of the people who called for his ouster through the public participation the House conducted on Friday and Saturday.
According to Mr Murugara, it would be untenable for the Deputy President to continue in office if he survives the impeachment motion.
"If the DP survives this impeachment today, where will he work? He cannot work with the president because he said this motion was sponsored by the president. We have not had a PG (parliamentary group) meeting to come up with a common position," said Mr Murugara.
DP allies have already promised a fierce backlash against President William Ruto if he is ousted.
Read: Gachagua impeachment: Karua criticises 'lynch mob' in Parliament, calls for fair trial in Senate Nation.Africa the relationship between President Ruto and his deputy appears to have broken irreparably.
Mr Gachagua had pointed out that it was unfair for more than 200 MPs to hound him out of office when he and President Ruto were elected by more than 7.2 million voters and insisted on public participation so that all Kenyans could decide his fate, not just a few leaders.
The Deputy President and his allies have subsequently questioned how the recent two-day public engagement on the impeachment was conducted.
The impeachment motion must be supported by one-third, or 117 members, and then by 233 members of the National Assembly for it to pass.
Mr Gachagua, whose relationship with his boss has soured, has now embarked on various court battles to save himself from impeachment, while the president maintains a studious silence.
But for Dismas Mokua, President Ruto and Mr Gachagua's political paths could still cross regardless of the outcome of the impeachment motion because politics is about interests.Nation.Africa .
"Politicians don't suffer from irreparable relationships. They are always pragmatic and driven by selfish political interests and therefore immunised from the vagaries of irreparable political relationships," says Mr Mokua.
Read: Ruto call and abortive bid to save Gachagua Nation.Africa that from the looks of things, "the die is cast and Gachagua is on his way home", with no chance of reconciliation with his boss.
"The majority of MPs have decided to send Gachagua home and I don't know what the president will do to convince them otherwise and I don't see Riggy G (Mr Gachagua) changing even if he is spared," he said.
Mr Savula added that to make matters worse, Mr Gachagua's relationship with senior politicians - including from the Mt Kenya region - and civil servants was so damaged that it would be difficult to work together if the Deputy President returned to the UDA political fold.
