President Ruto schemed to oust CJ Koome long ago - Gachagua

Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua now says the purported plans by his former boss, President William Ruto, to remove Chief Justice Martha Koome from office extend a long way into the past.

Gachagua has been claiming Ruto plans to oust the Supreme Court president over her alleged refusal to bow to political pressure.

On Sunday, he even warned the President that he “should not set foot” in Koome’s home region of Meru if the plan materialises.

And in a Monday night interview with KTN, Gachagua, whom the Senate impeached in October, claimed Ruto began discussing his intentions to have Koome out of office long ago when the former DP was still in office.

“President William Ruto schemed a long time ago to remove Martha Koome as Chief Justice because of refusing to be compromised. He shared this with me and many times he even quarrelled me [sic] that a daughter from the mountain is being problematic,” Gachagua told the broadcaster, referencing the vote-rich Mount Kenya region which Koome’s Meru, as well as his home county of Nyeri, are located in.

“He accused me of being unable to manage Martha Koome to do things the way the President wants,” he went on, adding that he had “many discussions” with CJ Koome over the matter.

“She is strict to the rule of law and constitutionalism and a very respectable judge… I was against it. The matter was put on hold until I was hounded out of office and has now been put on top gear,” Gachagua said.

The former DP further alleged President Ruto wants “the entire Supreme Court bench” out, adding that his former boss previously told him “A president must be able to manage an election cycle from the IEBC (Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission) to the Supreme Court.”

“Many times, he indicated his desire to have the entire bench replaced so he can put in place a bench that does what he wants,” Gachagua said.

The former DP has since his ouster castigated Ruto and his administration over what he calls a failure to listen to Kenyans, intolerance, dictatorship and cronyism, among others.

He has further sworn to “make whatever sacrifices necessary” to make any chance of Ruto’s re-election in the 2027 general election unlikely.

On Sunday, Gachagua told a church service in Meru he would lead nationwide protests if CJ Koome is ousted, saying he would not stand by and watch Ruto “destroy the leadership of Mount Kenya.”

In the KTN interview on Monday, Gachagua expressed fears the purported bid would sail through, saying Ruto “has numbers” in the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

“Any proceedings against the Chief Justice and the judges will just be a kangaroo court, just like my impeachment: it will be predetermined,” he said.

“He will have captured the entire country, having already done that with the National Assembly, Senate and the opposition.”

Gachagua’s allegations come a month after the former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi filed a petition with JSC seeking CJ Koome’s removal and the entire Supreme Court bench.

Havi in the suit cites purported misconduct and incompetence.

Still, in January, CJ Koome’s security detail was controversially withdrawn without notice for “training and promotion,” according to the Inspector General, then reinstated after an uproar.