In his first public statement since being impeached by the Senate, Kenya’s former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua detailed what he described as “a year of continual persecution and stress” allegedly inflicted by President William Ruto.
Speaking shortly after being discharged from Karen Hospital in Nairobi, Gachagua claimed that his security detail was withdrawn while he was “fighting for his life.”
“I want Kenyans to know that as I return home, I have no security. If anything happens to me or my family, President Ruto must be held accountable,” Gachagua said, accusing the president of violating a court order by removing his security.
The High Court of Kenya has issued a temporary order preventing the replacement of Gachagua as deputy president.
Reflecting on his tumultuous year, Gachagua said, “It has been very difficult for me, but I am a resilient man. What happened on Thursday (October 17),” referring to the impeachment vote, “is the culmination of a year of persecution and stress.”
He further alleged that President Ruto was trying to push him to the brink, comparing his situation to the late politician Kenneth Matiba, who suffered a stroke after prolonged persecution under former President Daniel arap Moi.
Gachagua also claimed there were attempts on his life. “On August 30 in Kisumu, undercover agents entered my room, bugged it, and one of them tried to poison my food. We detected it in time and avoided the plot,” he stated. He added that another poisoning attempt occurred on September 3 in Nyeri, allegedly targeting food meant for him and the Kikuyu Council of Elders.
Gachagua, who had been hospitalized for a “life-threatening health condition,” was discharged on Sunday, October 20.
Regarding the 11 charges brought against him during the impeachment trial, Gachagua dismissed them as “malicious and fictional,” asserting that the process was part of a political scheme by President Ruto to remove him from office.
“I don’t believe the president ever intended to work with me. I think he only needed me to help him win the election because of my ability to mobilize and the trust the Mount Kenya region has in me,” Gachagua claimed, adding that his “only crime” was speaking the truth as the sole elected official in President Ruto’s cabinet.
President Ruto has yet to respond to these accusations.