Mt Kenya Is Ready To Welcome You Back- Gachagua Sends Message To Ruto

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Saturday, November 2 revealed that he was willing to welcome President William Ruto back to Mt Kenya despite the political rivalry that culminated in his impeachment by Parliament.

Speaking at a funeral service in Kirinyaga County in his first public address since the swearing-in of Kithure Kindiki as Deputy President, Gachagua revealed the current status of his relationship with President Ruto, saying he had no issues with the Head of State.

“We don’t have any problem with the President. We want to give the President space to fulfil his promises to Kenyans in the next three years and come back to us,” he said, adding “Everyone should be given time to finish his work. There is no storm without an end.”

While revealing that he will leave the President and Kindiki to work for the remaining three years, Gachagua urged President Ruto not to stop the progress made in the fight against illicit brews, particularly in the Mt Kenya region.

The former second in command and Mathira Member of Parliament advised Ruto to consider delegating the duty to his deputy Kindiki to ensure no illicit alcohol was sold to Kenyans.

This is after he revealed that he received face-to-face complaints from several residents from the Mt Kenya region of late regarding the resurgence of the sale of illegal alcohol within the populous region.

"That is why I want to ask those who are currently in power about the work Rigathi Gachagua did in two years, fighting against illicit brew to save our children, even if you do not want me, let the work continue, to help our children, our sons were into alcohol and we did a lot of work to help them," Gachagua asserted.

"I have begun witnessing a revival in the menace, people came to me today morning telling me that since I was ejected out of power, people have begun taking illicit brew. I want to ask those who have to opportunity to help Kenyans to eliminate illicit alcohol."

On the same note, Gachagua fired at the Members of the National Assembly, urging them to expedite the approval of the Coffee Bill that was tabled before parliament in 2023, using the same speed and efficiency they had applied in fronting his impeachment.

Gachagua also urged the lawmakers particularly those from the Mt Kenya region who pushed for his impeachment to apply the same effort and hasten the disbursement of the millions of money owed by the government to coffee farmers.

"The speed they used to impeach me, let them use the same speed to pass the Coffee Bill. Let it be passed and be gazetted after presidential ascent. I want to urge Mt Kenya leaders who impeached me to use the same speed and efficiency to pass the Coffee Bill 2023 and Cooperative Bill 2023," Gachagua commented. 

"The motivation you had to wake up early in the morning and at night to remove me from the office, fight for that money to get to Ksh7 million from Ksh5 million so that we can pay our coffee farmers."

His message to President Ruto and lawmakers comes hardly a day after Kithure Kindiki was sworn in as the new deputy president. Kindiki was sworn in as the DP at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in a ceremony attended by high-profile delegates including President Ruto, members of the cabinet and politicians, including MP Mwengi Mutuse, responsible for sponsoring the impeachment motion against Gachagua.

During his last weekend as Deputy President (officially), Gachagua appealed to Kenyans to keep President Ruto in their prayers as his administration tackles the challenges affecting the general public.