Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has warned former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua against pushing him into revealing details of private meetings they held before Gachagua was removed from office.
Speaking in Embu on Sunday, Kindiki said he had kept records of conversations with Gachagua during his time as Interior Cabinet secretary. He suggested that he could make some of those details public if his former colleague continued to attack him.
“Gachagua, I came to visit you many nights when I was Interior CS,” Kindiki said.
He did not explain what was discussed during those meetings. But he claimed he had tried to intervene before Gachagua’s removal from office.
“Do not push me to reveal how I tried to help you but you did not listen,” he said.
The remarks add a new edge to an increasingly public political rivalry between the two men, who served in the same administration before their relationship deteriorated.
Kindiki also took issue with what he described as Gachagua’s dismissive attitude towards him.
“Stop looking down upon me. You keep thumping your chest,” he said.
He linked Gachagua’s conduct to the political troubles that eventually led to his removal, saying he did not want to follow the same path.
“And it is that character of yours that got you removed from office, and I do not want to be like you,” Kindiki said.
Kindiki also addressed his habit of referring to Gachagua as his “brother”, saying the description should not be interpreted as fear or submission.
“When I call you my brother, it is not because I fear you,” he said.
Gachagua’s impeachment
Gachagua was removed from the office of deputy president in October 2024 after Parliament approved his impeachment. The Senate upheld five of the 11 charges brought against him.
The impeachment followed months of growing differences between Gachagua and the administration of President William Ruto.
Kindiki, who was then Interior Cabinet secretary, was nominated to replace him. Court proceedings temporarily delayed his appointment, but the Supreme Court eventually cleared the way for the transition.
Kindiki was sworn in as deputy president on November 1, 2024.
Political rivalry
Since leaving government, Gachagua has become a vocal critic of Ruto’s administration. He has also stepped up his political activities as parties and political leaders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Kindiki, meanwhile, has remained a senior figure in the Ruto administration and has increasingly taken a more visible role in political activities in the Mt Kenya region.
Their latest exchange could further sharpen the rivalry between the two leaders.
However, Kindiki has not disclosed the contents of the alleged dossier. There is also no independent evidence establishing what was discussed during the private meetings he referred to or confirming his claim that he tried to help Gachagua avoid impeachment.
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