Kalonzo defends Gachagua, blames President Ruto for impeachment plot

According to Kalonzo, the calls for Gachagua’s impeachment are a tactic by Ruto’s administration to divert public attention from pressing national issues.

Kalonzo made these remarks after attending the funeral service for schoolchildren who tragically lost their lives in a dormitory fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Mweiga, Nyeri County.

"It is very unfortunate that instead of consoling with the families of the 21 precious angels who perished in the tragic Hillside Endarasha Academy fire, Ruto is busy racking up frequent flier miles," Kalonzo posted on X.

"Instead of directing his efforts towards strengthening the schools' safety system to ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again, Ruto has allowed his henchmen to distract the country with an impeachment motion against his Deputy Assistant."

The Wiper leader asserted that the opposition would not be swayed into supporting the government and would actively oppose any attempts to remove Gachagua from office.

“Instead of addressing the Adani heist and those behind the blatant attempt to take control of key security and strategic infrastructure, Ruto's priority is to capture the opposition. As the government-in-waiting, we will not allow these distractions, including an impeachment motion against the Deputy President, to pass unopposed,” Kalonzo added.

In the meantime, Kimilli MP Didmus Barasa has announced his intention to sponsor the impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Barasa claims to have exceeded the required 177 MPs needed for the motion to be approved by Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetangula. He stated that he has gathered 242 signatures from lawmakers across the political spectrum and plans to submit them to the Speaker this evening.

As a vocal ally of President Ruto, Barasa expressed hope that the motion will be scheduled for debate on Tuesday after receiving the Speaker’s approval. “I am the sponsor of the impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. So far, I have received 242 signatures, and an additional six MPs are awaiting their turn to sign,” he said.