Gachagua Failed Being Deputy President – Kindiki

Photo collage of Gachagua and DP Kindiki. (Photo/Citizen TV)

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has sharply criticised his predecessor, Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of undermining President Ruto when he was a deputy president.

Speaking during a gathering of over 3,500 women opinion leaders in Tharaka Nithi County, Kindiki said the deputy presidency is a position that demands respect, loyalty, and maturity.

He urged leaders to focus on service delivery rather than political theatrics, stressing that leadership requires both formal education and real-life wisdom.

Rigathi Gachagua addressing Kenyans living in Abroad during his tour to US. (PHOTO: Gachagua)

The deputy president, who has been in office since November 2024, used the event to draw a clear contrast between his leadership approach and that of Gachagua, whose turbulent term ended in impeachment.

“The person who was given the job of deputy president failed. They were given the role, but instead of helping their boss, they went about fighting them. That is why I tell you, there is school education, and there is life education,” Kindiki said.

Gachagua’s removal in October 2024 marked the first time in Kenya’s history that a deputy president was impeached.

The Senate found him guilty of constitutional violations and inciting ethnic divisions. The decision was backed by a majority of senators, including lawmakers from his home region.

In the months since his impeachment, Gachagua has embarked on a two-month tour of the United States, meeting Kenyan diaspora communities in cities including Seattle, Boston, Baltimore, and Los Angeles. During the trip.

He accused the government of targeting the Mt. Kenya region for “persecution and discrimination” and claimed that more than 40 National Intelligence Service agents had been deployed to monitor him.

He also argued that Kenya’s Gen Z population, both at home and abroad will play a decisive role in shaping the country’s future.

Kindiki, who previously served as Interior Cabinet Secretary, emphasised the weight of responsibility carried by the deputy president’s office, noting that it sits just one step away from the presidency.

“The office of the Deputy President is a very senior seat, isn’t it? There’s only one person ahead of you, and that’s the President. This person was removed from office – and it’s not me who removed him – it was even the MPs from his own backyard,” he said.

During the Tharaka Nithi event, Kindiki outlined a series of development projects, including a KSh 1.2 billion rural electrification programme, the completion of stalled road works, and market infrastructure upgrades to boost trade. He also reiterated his commitment to supporting the President in both public and private.

“The work of a deputy president is to assist the President and to defend the government. And if I have any advice for the President, I don’t give it in front of everyone, I advise him privately,” he added.