Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has attributed the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua as Deputy President to his inability to build positive relationships with most leaders in the ruling party, UDA.
Duale asserted that rather than fostering friendships, the impeached Deputy President alienated members of President William Ruto’s party and those from his home region of Mt. Kenya.
“In politics, it’s good to invest in friends. Rigathi Gachagua invested more in fighting people from his backyard and everywhere, including fighting small people. When you are big, you don’t come to ground zero, you stay up. He invested in creating enemies than friends,” Duale argued during a TV interview Wednesday night
He pointed to this dynamic as a key reason why Gachagua garnered minimal support when the motion to remove him from office was introduced in both the National Assembly and the Senate.
“It is unprecedented in Kenyan legislative history for 282 members to vote in favor of an impeachment motion. In the Senate, the lowest vote for Gachagua’s impeachment received support from 48 out of 49 Senators. Those members represent the people of Kenya,” he emphasized.
Duale also criticized Gachagua for failing to gauge the sentiments of legislators while the motion was being drafted. According to him, had Gachagua been more attuned to the political climate, his future in politics would not have been jeopardized, as the impeachment process is significantly damaging.
“My advice to any leader, whether a Governor or Deputy President facing impeachment, is to take decisive action before the matter reaches the Senate. Otherwise, you risk facing the same fate as Ferdinand Waititu and Mike Sonko,” he concluded.
