Riggy G or Sakaja? Eyes on who will blink first as President Ruto keeps distance

This week has been characterised by raging political temperatures touched off by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, popularly known as Riggy G, when he asked Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to stop ‘interfering with Kikuyu businesses”.



He categorically instructed Sakaja not to relocate matatus from the CBD to the new Green Park terminus in what has now sparked varied reactions from leaders across the political divide, with an Opposition MP from Western Kenya even threatening to sponsor a motion to impeach the DP.



While the threat by the MP sounds fertile given the high constitutional threshold of impeaching a DP, Riggy G’s directive has seemingly exposed the underbelly of the politics inside Kenya Kwanza, pitting the second in command and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.



“These are internal issues,” Sakaja said, urging people to stop exaggerating the matter, “we will be able to resolve them internally. I can’t answer my boss back.”



The DP had warned him to “go slow” in implementing his agenda in the city, particularly where it affects the Kikuyu business community.



“We do not want his high speed. He must slow down. I have summoned him for a sitting. It is a no for any of his decisions that might have a negative effect on our people in Nairobi,” DP Gachagua said On December 19 last year, “We made you governor. I personally lobbied the Kikuyu people in Nairobi to elect him.”



Political observers have interpreted this statement as interference of the Executive on county governments affairs, in what may set a bad precedent given Governors are not, by law required to consult the Executive in their operations.



And amid the raging political temperatures, President William Ruto has kept off the subject even as an Opposition MP of Bumula Constituency Jack Wamboka threatened to sponsor an impeachment motion.



“Every time Rigathi speaks you wonder whether he is the Deputy President of Kenya or Deputy President of the Kikuyu republic,” the MP said, and went on to threaten “I will bring a motion to impeach you, discuss your conduct and impeach you.”



This threat has touched off raw nerves in Mt Kenya where a section of leaders have come out guns blazing, and told off anyone dreaming to impeach their new kingpin



“Let them bring it on,” said Mutahi Kahiga, the Nyeri Governor, “anyone dreaming that they can easily impeach our Deputy President doesn’t know what they are talking about.”



Impeachment of a Deputy President is, however, not a walk in the park, given the majority MPs, Kenya Kwanza has in the National Assembly.



By the time of writing this article, Gachagua’s Kenya Kwanza coalition had 177 MPs in the National Assembly against Opposition Azimio’s 157. This excludes two pending by-elections in Garissa Township and Kandara.



And so for Wamboka’s motion to succeed, it must have the support of at least a third of all the MPs.



Capital News