Nairobi, Kenya—Kenyans today observed the 61st Mashujaa Day in a boredom manner, reflecting the recent political hives in an ethically divided nation. President Ruto today, for the first time since the adoption of the 2010 Constitution, presided over the annual event to celebrate freedom fighters without a Deputy President.
The celebrations took place in Makueni Stadium, Makeuni County, where thousands thronged the stadium, including notable state officers, to grace the occasion, just days after the impeachment of the Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua.
President Ruto, in his speech, delved much into the controversial affordable housing that has seen Kenyans getting taxed extremely like never. He said affordable housing, dubbed ‘Boma Yangu,’ has created more than 150, 000 opportunities countrywide.
He also touched on the agricultural sector, especially on farm inputs like fertilizer, which he said will retail at Ksh25.00 to alleviate and cushion farmers and the nation from the biting economy. His statement on the fertilizer comes months after farmers were sold fake fertilizer, which almost cost the former CS for agriculture, Mithika Linturi’s, job.
While Kenyans from other regions were gathering to commemorate Day, clouds of pain and a feeling of betrayal rented several parts of the Mt. Kenya region following the dramatic impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua while in hospital.
However, Ruto nominated the CS, for Interior Prof. Kithure Kindiki to replace the Gachagua, whose ouster sparked divisions among Kenyans, and especially Mt. Kenya West residents who felt betrayed. The nomination of Kithure Kindiki paints Ruto’s tactical strategy to counter outrage and to continue consolidating the overwhelming support that helps him the top seat.
The absence of Gachagua in the Mashujaa Day celebrations however, did not bar the well-coordinated plan continuing, despite being in the hospital at the session was going. There were signs of Khim winindiki’s veneration even though many people expected either speech or a special mention of him by the President.
Ragathis’s seat was not empty either; Kithure Kindiki got the reservation in his place reflecting a speedy shift of political landscape, that have since sidelined Gachgua—forced to seek the intervention of the court to stop his ouster, and the swearing in of Ruto’s current favorite.
Rigathi Gachagua Leaves the Hospital; Break the Silence
The deposed DP left the Karen hospital today after spending nearly 72 hours, undergoing treatment follwing chest pains he reportedly experienced on Thursday, while awaiting to appear before the Senate as a witness during his impeachment motion.
While addressing the media at the said hospital, Gachagua described President Ruto as a vicious man who hates the truth. He alleges that President Ruto must have felt bad and hinted at impeaching him after advising him stop overtaxing Kenyans to fund the affordable housing.
In his emotional statement, Gachagua also said that he advised Ruto to abort the controversial Adani deals that have since raised several eyebrows in the country, citing the economic atrocities such signings could plung the country into. Ruto gave a deaf year to also these, resulting in hybrid resentment.
However, Gachagua also touched on his an attempted assasination, unravellling the deep rooted imperability with his boss, William Ruto. He alleged the there were two separate food poisoning incidences , with one taking plac in Kisumu and the other in Nyeri by an unidentified National Intelligence Service (NIS) official.
He urged Ruto to stop threatening his family and strongly echoed his endangered life to Kenyans. He went ahead to day that William Ruto will be blamed should anything happen to his life. This comes after all his security details were withdrawn, which mirrors a dead-end rift with his boss. The reality about his security details manifested when he left the hospital premises, alongside his wife and two sons in SUV car, unlike the previous days as the second in command.
The Deputy Prsident was ousted on Thurdays night, following the Senate’s decision to uphold his impeachment by the National Assembly, a week before. The impeachment debate however, continued despite the urgent request by his legal team to postpone it until Sartuday following the chest pains that ended his day in the hospital.
The following day, the Speaker of the National Assembly while holding a plenary meeting got a letter from the President informiang him of the nomination of the Prof. Kithure Kindiki as the next Deputy President. 236MPs overwhelnimgly voted to approve his nomination, an event which raises several questions due to the pace at which it was conducted, yet the constitution provides a room for atleast 74 days.
However, the Milimani High Court, Judge, Justice Chacha Mwita, issued a conservatory ordered barring the state from implementing his impeachment and further, coronation of the new DP, Kithure Kindiki until October 24,a waiting a bench to be formed the Chief Justice to oversee the matter.
The question as to whether the Supreme Court shall declare the impeachment unconstitutional or not is an issue of extreme fragility. Kenya’s judicial system is independent, and its hard to tell whether President Ruto and Parliament will be ready to accept and respect the court decision should expectations get watered down.
