After getting appointed the running mate by Dr William Ruto ahead of the 2022 General Election, Rigathi Gachagua went ahead to mobilise Mt Kenya voting block to install his boss as the fifth president.

However, their relations were to sour, leading to the infamous impeachment in October 2024.

Mr Gachagua shares the insights of his journey towards impeachment with Tybalt Madume.

Q: When did you realise the relationship between you and president Ruto was going bad and why?

A: In retrospect, it is as if he was never prepared for a Gachagua Deputy Presidency. I thought I was being couched and shaped to suit the new office...granted, he was the more experienced and the boss. He descended on me right from day one in office with reprimands, threats, sanctions… It was after one year in office that I realized he wanted to rule alone.

Q: What are the specific issues that saw you two become incompatible?

A: His desire to set me up with the people... We had both promised never to dehumanise people through inhumane demolitions, never entertain a government that abducts and murders its people, be transparent in tendering to avoid state capture, create wealth in the agricultural and MSMEs sectors. He started telling me to defend Adani deals, support alleged ‘justified’ abductions when he was publicly opposing them, abandon agricultural reforms, defend punitive taxes and superintend demolitions aimed at making citizens internally displaced people. I refused.

Q: You said you endured a lot as DP. What are some of these incidents?

A: I was a deputy who was being set up to fail. I experienced direct attempts on my life. They bugged my life with spy gadgets and software.

I was accorded demeaning tongue lashing, outright insults and threats. There reached a point where transporting myself around was a big problem. I was cut off from government linkages as efforts were made to make me a president's worker with my loyalty to him and him only.

Q: But it is said you are difficult to work with, prone to blackmail and launching ambitious schemes to make your boss a one-term president

A: When Ruto picked me as his running mate, he gave a speech that described my personality. He said I was passionate about people's issues. He said I'm hard, tough and with zeal to help him deliver on his mandate. Now go and ask him at what time did I become insensitive to people's issues. Where I digressed from commitment for him to deliver. I hear some young politicians excited about being near power peddle rumours of my ambitions to sabotage the president and his term.

Tell them to give an official report from NIS that supports those claims. Even rumours should be spined intelligently. I hear them say silly things like I demanding Sh14 billion from Ruto. The kind of nonsense coming from this hopeless bunch of scared losers in the near future is grave.

Q: Who advises President Ruto?

A: Himself, some few friends and accidental adoption of official advise. I see you people write a lot about one man show. That is him. If he was a crop, we would see the marvel of one that is its own seed, fertiliser, pesticide and even fertilises itself. Ruto listens not. 

Q: Did you raise the issue of the unpopular taxes in Finance Bill 2024 with the president directly and what was his response?

A. Right from the word go! IMF had warned that the punitive taxes were a national threat to security. I told the president that nearly all sectors of the economy were complaining and fighting the government. Private sector employers were crying. The media had made it a campaign against the Bill. I countless times told him so. He said leadership was doing what is right and not what is popular. I gave up.

Q:  And the Adani deals? Who went to look for the Indian billionaire?

A: That was exclusively above me...There are serious deal cutters in this government. There are politicians with the ears of the big man. Theirs is to shop for deals and after briefing their master and they agree on gains and benefits, the proposals are tabled in the Cabinet. The big man seconds, affirms and orders commitment 

Q: What other questionable deals are there that you would want to make public ? 

A: Wait until we are properly in campaign mode...you people will be shocked. The NIS, EACC and DCI cannot dare poke their noses in the criminal enterprise so live beneath the smooth talks. I can tell you that oversight in this country is at zero percent. It is only the media and the church that appears to be the people's voices. Even the handshake itself is a scandal. It came at a crushing cost for Kenyans. We will talk of garbage collection tenders, fake fertiliser, edible oils, Anne Njeri's Sh17bn oil import...Haiti mission...There is the clandestine theft of public and private land, about a big man's brother in-law attempting to use security agents to grab a 200 acres of a Kiambu county family...The corrupt confidential vote that is used to capture institutions and compromise oversight and justice system...The big issue with affordable housing scandal...we will have a conversation, an interesting one. We will also debate about Military boss Francis Ogolla's fatal chopper crash. 

Q: How is life outside power? Anything you miss? 

A: Of course the truthful man in me will tell you it came with its withdrawal syndrome...a little bit of frustration and some hangovers. My wife stood as the imposing figure of stabilizing the emotions. She abd our two sons stamped their authority in my life and told me at least I had them. God came through for me and im a contented man. What I miss? The dream I had to contribute to the pursuit of the Kenya we want. I really wanted to see moonshine dealers crashed, farmers happy, business community happy and hope among Kenyans shored up

Q: Now that you lost deputy party leader post in UDA, are you still member? Do you intend to resign and when?

A: I was never a deputy party leader...I was a flower girl. That party is a personal property to the party leader who treats all others in it as his workers. I will withdraw membership and take it where I will be among people who believe in democracy, independence of thought, respect for divergent views...away from a dictatorial cocoon that believes in trap and capture mentality

Q: Are you shopping for a new party? Which one ? 

A: It is ready and waiting for unveiling this very month of May 2025. I am not shopping for a new party...rather, we (emphasis on we) are assembling a behemoth movement. A tsunami of sorts that will bring together serious progressive forces and shape the mother of all electoral waves. A force that is founded on the respect for truth. Where we will not be bible carrying saints by the day but armed bandits in the night who order security officers to commit the crimes of extrajudicial killings, abductions, enforced disappearances and persecutions. We were duped but January is coming and the behemoth will be named, presented and be opened for membership 

Q:  What new alliances are you exploring? 

A: After ensuring that the Mountain is standing tall united and speaking in one voice, we will now meet as equals with all willing partners. Remember alliances are for the willing. What I can assure you is that we have attracted huge interest. The personalities, institutions and groups reaching out to us...amazing. This government better have it's last supper, we are going for it from the branches, the stem and the roots.

Q: If the court clears you, will you run for president?

A: God created me to grow from reap to bound... I am qualified. But remember we are founding a movement that will bring together talents and competences ideal to confront a common enemy that has become a virus to the very essence of our lives. The process is about negotiations, compromises and concessions. Alone cannot apportion responsibilities. We will come out to announce the contest formation 

Q: If they don't, what next ?

A: Life goes on. I was still having a life before I became a politician and before I became Deputy President. The world of this man will not end simply because of such a happening. But I will remain committed to the cause of helping this nation fix the rot that has become unbearable in under two years. There are many ways of sorting out a problem and direct confrontation is just one among many. I can as well be the cheering squad as our movement tackles this regime  

Q: When is the last time you spoke to Uhuru?

A: Very recently...As late as a weekend ago. He is getting very upset seeing us going public anytime we meet and speak to him. He insists that he has a voice and knows how to use it. He is against us making him an item of public discussion especially about something he can pronounce himself on.

Q: Has he accepted your apology?

A: He himself has in the past one(1) month gone public twice declaring that he has no grudge against anyone. He did not add a rider that he is at peace with everyone apart from Gachagua. Mr Kenyatta is a long time friend, partner, confidant and a brother. We are both politicians and he perfectly understands what is a competition. He is pragmatic, accepts defeat and apologies. He is such a big hearted and sensible man and take this to bank: He has since given us valuable advise and is firmly on the side of the people

Q: When last did you speak to Ruto?

A: A day or two before parliamentarians executed their mob lynching against me

Q: It's reported he called you on the day you and your lawyers were preparing for your Parliament appearance during impeachment proceedings. What did he tell you?

A: He said I should not dare him in a duel. He said he has numbers and resources. Told me to make a choice between sinking for good or soft landing. He wanted me to resign.

Q: Looking at how your political journey has panned out, is there anything you would have done differently? Do you regret the shareholder remark?

A: I now know that looks are deceptive. I became too quick to trust. My God thrust me into glory, but I lacked sufficient experience. I think God took me there to learn and removed me to launch a fresh bid the wiser. I made a huge blunder to commit our people to Ruto. If the clock was to run back, I would make peace with Uhuru Kenyatta, go with him to Mr Odinga and see this country having Ruto as opposition. Shareholder remark is a very realistic way of putting into perspective why people vote. The Constitution talks of majority and minority sides. That distinction connotes shares either in the majority or minority. My major regret is to see Mt Kenya power that it delegated to Ruto getting used to punish it. That is unforgivable sin and 2027 will be a statement of vengeance.

Q: Mt Kenya is hostile to Ruto and his allies. What direction will you give the region?

A: My direction is that the people of Mt Kenya have a right and justification to join other Kenyans in expressing their concerns against this government. Even when Finance Bill, 2025 will be tabled in Parliament we will not shy from scrutinizing it and opposing it if need be. Choices have become so grave for us. After impeachment, in comes de-whipping. The president is only shouldering his burdens of being unpopular. His allies are paying the price of failing to listen to the ground. My allies are paying the price of daring a one man show dictatorship where they are getting de-whipped, intimidated, insulted, vomited on and being dehumanised as well as demeaned. There are planned sacking of people in government deemed to be my supporters. He thinks people serve individuals and not the constitution. That is the disconnect we have in this rule. My message to all Kenyans is to keep increasing the distance between them and this government 

Q: This government has been accused of lies, corruption, abductions, over taxation...what else have we not heard levelled against it?

A: Blasphemy. A government that insults the clergy and boisterously issues threats to worshippers has overstretched the meaning of blasphemy. Even at our most moment of self aggrandisement, we should never dare God, religious faith and our mortality. A government that cannot submit to God can only be of the evil spirit 

Q: What if those who impeached you express a need to reconcile with you?

A: It is the people they wronged, not me. They can only reconcile with the people and if forgiven, I will have no choice but to embrace them back to people's side.

Q: What if you and Ruto meet after the elections and there is a need for a handshake between you two?

A: We shall deal on the basis of how he has revealed himself to us. We now know him very well. We know how dangerous it is to trust him without written agreement and without witnesses. We know how deceptive he is. If and when we find ourselves engaging him, we will take all necessary precautions and he will have to sweat out every concession that will be on the table. Never again will we trust like fools.