Kenya’s impeached Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, lashed out at President William Ruto on Sunday, describing him as “vicious” and accusing him of endangering his life.
Gachagua was impeached by the Senate on Thursday after being found guilty on five out of eleven charges, but a court order temporarily halted the process of appointing his replacement.
The 59-year-old, popularly known as “Riggy G,” revealed that his security detail had been withdrawn, and his staff placed on compulsory leave. “I am shocked by how vicious a man I helped to be president, believed in and was persecuted when I supported, could be so vicious against me,” he said while speaking to reporters in Nairobi.
Gachagua’s comments came after being discharged from a hospital in the Karen suburb of Nairobi, where he was treated for severe chest pains. He claimed past attempts on his life through poisoning and warned that if anything happened to him or his family, President Ruto should be held responsible.
Gachagua fell ill on Thursday, just an hour before he was scheduled to testify in his impeachment trial at the Senate. Despite his lawyers’ efforts to delay the proceedings, the Senate proceeded with the vote, ultimately removing him from office. He was found guilty of charges such as threatening judges and engaging in ethnically divisive politics, but he was acquitted of corruption and money-laundering accusations.
In a swift response to the impeachment, Ruto nominated Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki to replace Gachagua. However, a High Court in Nairobi immediately suspended the appointment process, following an overwhelming parliamentary vote in favour of Kindiki, a 52-year-old academic and political figure. The court’s three-judge panel is set to hear the case on Tuesday.
Gachagua criticised the president, accusing him of violating the court order by withdrawing his security detail. He expressed disbelief at the level of hostility directed towards him. “I don’t understand this level of viciousness to a man who has been your deputy and who helped you become president irrespective of what he has done,” he declared. “At his lowest moment in life when he is literally struggling to stay alive, you unleash such viciousness against him.”
President Ruto has yet to publicly comment on Gachagua’s impeachment. However, during an address marking Mashujaa Day, a public holiday honouring Kenya’s independence heroes, he spoke about the importance of upholding national values and combating tribalism without making direct reference to his deputy.
Gachagua, a prominent businessman from Kenya’s largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu, played a key role in Ruto’s election victory in August 2022 by securing votes from the influential Mount Kenya region. However, he is the first deputy president to be ousted under Kenya’s 2010 constitution, which introduced the impeachment process.
Political analysts suggest that Gachagua’s downfall may be linked more to his ambitions and refusal to align with the president’s agenda than to the charges he faced.