By Anderson Ojwang
Buddha noted that truth, like the sun and moon, cannot remain hidden for long. And on Sunday, National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohammed, in a spurt of excitement meant to chide Linda Mwananchi leader and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, let the cat out of the bag in the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua impeachment saga.
In what was meant to deride Sifuna’s humble rural house as not worth the taste and class of a presidential aspirant, Junet wondered where the ‘proceeds’ that were given out to legislators to impeach Gachagua went.
Truth
Writer George Orwell famously framed telling the truth during deceitful times as a revolutionary act.
“You know what, at that time we were impeaching Gachagua, there was something that went around in Parliament. Let me say the truth. There was something which went around, and the accounting officer was Aaron Cheruiyot. I have seen some people jumping up and down, and they benefitted from the proceeds but they did not construct their rural houses,” Junet said.
Ridicule
Scholar Arthur Schopenhauer outlined that truth is either ridiculed and opposed before being accepted, and this is how Junet found himself sublimed.
Gachagua said the impeachment of a Deputy President doesn’t happen every day, and the opportunity should translate into meaningful development for the legislators.
“Impeachment doesn’t come every day. If you got something from the impeachment of Gachagua, kindly build a better home and house. That house, I have seen, doesn’t match the Gachagua impeachment package. Some maths is not adding up,” he said.
Junet, in his attack, derided a colleague without naming his name, saying they should not spend the ‘bribe’ on women but use it for development.
“Stop wasting your money on yellow women. Bring the money to the village. Those who know what I am talking about understand. I have not seen if the proceeds of that impeachment of Gachagua reached Bungoma. The iron sheets don’t match the payment,” he said.
I am innocent
Gachagua on Sunday night maintained innocence, saying his impeachment was a witch hunt.
“Today Junet has said when I was impeached, they were given money. I have been saying this all along. I was impeached without any mistake,” he said.
Gachagua claimed the MPs and the Senators were bribed to impeach him and that Junet confirmed the truth.
“Your MPs and Senators impeached me for no apparent cause, and Junet has confirmed it today,” he said.
Gachagua said a video clip has gone viral showing Junet stating how the plot was executed.
“The video has gone viral, and that Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot was the man tasked with sorting out members. The truth has finally come out that it was President William Ruto and his tribesmen who plotted my removal,” he said.
Charges
Gachagua faced 11 charges, including insubordination to the President, inciting ethnic violence, corruption, undermining the government, and money laundering, among others.
But he rejected the charges against him as being politically motivated.
The court
A Nairobi High Court recently upheld the 2024 impeachment of Gachagua, barring him from holding public office.
Three High Court judges dismissed Gachagua’s claims, including that the impeachment process was politically biased against him.
The court, however, found that the Senate violated Gachagua’s rights when it failed to adjourn after he had fallen ill during the proceedings.
It said this did not invalidate the impeachment, but it awarded him Sh50 million in compensation.
Besides upholding Gachagua’s removal from office, the court also affirmed the appointment of Kithure Kindiki to replace him.
Conclave
After the High Court ruling, Gachagua declared a 45-day conclave to be at Wamunyoro.
He declared a 45-day conclave and was not to attend any public function.
“My supporters have instructed me to urgently embark on the implementation of a strategic stand from my Wamunyoro residence for a period of 45 days. I will camp in Wamunyoro village to start exhaustive and extensive consultation with my supporters and opinion leaders,” he said after the court ruling.
Gachagua said he was asked to engage with utmost priority the identification of a single presidential candidate to face President William Ruto.
“They have asked me to move to Wamunyoro to meet stakeholders, opinion leaders, and other people who matter in our political formation to seek their mandate and authority to initiate negotiations with my co-principals with a view to producing a single presidential candidate,” he said.
“Operation Fagia Mt Kenya”
Gachagua has declared “Operation Fagia Mt Kenya” against President Ruto’s allies.
Gachagua put on notice all allies of President Ruto in the 2027 general elections in Parliament, the Senate, and County Assemblies.
The impeached Deputy President took the battle a notch higher by declaring that President Ruto should not get any presidential vote in the region.
The agenda of the conclave was aimed at coming up with a formula for identifying a single presidential candidate to face President William Ruto in the 2027 elections.
Mt Kenya guillotine
The revelations by Junet of how Gachagua was hounded out of office could spell a political death knell to politicians from the region allied to President Ruto.
Currently, Mt Kenya is moving towards a single political basket, with DCP becoming the dominant party and Gachagua as the undisputed leader.
“Nobody will divide Mt Kenya. MPs can go and take money from the President, but we will remain united. I am very happy, and I have been vindicated,” he said.
Last weekend, Murang’a Governor Irungu Kangata joined DCP from UDA.
Gachagua will turn Junet’s revelation into a potent campaign tool against President Ruto.
