Ruto's Brief Call Ends Hope for Gachagua's Survival

On the morning of October 7, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua received a crucial phone call from President William Ruto while meeting with family members and his legal team at his Karen residence.

This call came just a day before Mr Gachagua was set to address the National Assembly regarding his impending impeachment. The relationship between Mr Gachagua and President Ruto had been notably strained since their last encounter at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in July. The brief call from President Ruto, lasting less than a minute, left Mr Gachagua with the realization that he would face the impeachment process without presidential support. Despite sending emissaries to the President in a final bid to salvage the situation, these peace missions proved unsuccessful.

In response to inquiries about the call and mediation efforts, State House spokesman Hussein Mohammed maintains that the President had no involvement in the ongoing issues, citing constitutional separation of powers. Meanwhile, a group of religious leaders, including Catholic Bishop Anthony Muheria and ACK Church Archbishop James Ole Sapit attempted to broker a truce between the Deputy President and the President. Their efforts aim to understand the root causes of the fallout and explore potential paths to reconciliation. During discussions with the religious leaders, President Ruto reportedly accused his deputy of alienating MPs, opposing government policies, and failing to promote projects in the Mt. Kenya region.

The President also alluded to an unspecified scheme by his deputy that had led to their irreconcilable differences. Despite these mediation attempts, including a Sunday meeting with the President, follow-up discussions failed to materialize. As the impeachment proceedings draw near, political implications continue to unfold. Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga recently confirmed the bishops' reconciliation efforts and personally reached out to MPs from the Mt. Kenya region, urging them to support the Deputy President. However, these attempts proved fruitless. The Seventh-day Adventist Church, represented by lawyer Danston Omari, has moved to court as a last resort to address the political crisis.

The trial of the Deputy President is set to commence in the Senate next week, with ongoing efforts to reconcile the two leaders facing resistance from some members of the National Assembly. Insiders within the presidency have revealed that MPs have expressed their unwillingness to entertain any deal that might impede the impeachment process. National Assembly Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro notes that Mr Gachagua's press conference on the eve of the National Assembly proceedings had only strengthened members' determination to remove him from office.