No impeachment plot against DP Gachagua, he wants sympathy – Ichung’wah

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah has dismissed Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's claims of an impeachment plot against him, terming it as a sympathy seeking gimmick.

Speaking after the burial of his family friend and former employee George Owiro at Pap Nyadiel village in Alego Usonga Constituency on Saturday, Ichung'wah noted that the DP's remarks were an attempt to incite people from the Mt. Kenya region against their Memers of Parliament.

The Kikuyu MP warned Kenyans of the DP's intentions to create a political instability should things not go his way.

"As a Leader of Majority, I can tell you there has never been an impeachment plan against him. That has been a creation of those that he walks around with. It's a sympathy seeking gimmick to try and incite people from the Mt. Kenya region against MPs," Ichung'wah said.

"If you listened to him, he passed a veiled threat to Kenyans, saying that an impeachment motion would cause political instability, or rather he framed it's about stability of the nation. What he meant, is that he is trying to threaten that should there be one, there will be political instability."

However, the lawmaker noted that any MP is at liberty to bring an impeachment motion against the DP, President, Cabinet Secretary or any official, pointing out that there are no exemptions.

"No MP has ever proposed, even to collect signatures. It's only the DP who's been speaking about his impeachment. Probably, he's calling for it or he might imagine that he can incite one region of the country against the MPs. I've put my chest forward to defend the MPs," he noted.

Ichung'wah speculated that Gachagua’s endgame is to ultimately vie for the presidency in the 2027 elections and was hence focused on his personal interests instead of national issues.

"Gachagua has not said whether he's a candidate in 2027, though all indications show that he wants to run for president. I hear he wants to be friends with Kalonzo, Wajackoyah and such characters. He's at liberty to do that. But the focus we want him to focus on is the delivery of our manifesto," he noted. 

The MP also detailed the importance of the Nyahururu declaration whereby over 69 MPs chose Interior CS Kithure Kindiki as their link with the Executive, noting that the minister is vital in coordinating development projects in the region. 

He noted that the DP should advocate for the government's agenda when talking to media instead of voicing his personal issues.

"What I would have expected the DP to be doing now, even last week I challenged him that in the last two years he has never addressed national issues on the media stations. How I wish he would spend time on people centric issues instead of selfish and parochial things as he has engaged us in," he noted.

During a live interview on Citizen TV on Friday night, Gachagua called on his boss, President William Ruto to protect him from the constant insults instigated by the his allies, reminding him of the promise made during the 2022 campaign season.

This as leaders such as Ichung'wah have in the past been making fiery statements against the DP, questioning his suitability to be the country's second -in-command.