Omtatah defends Gachagua’s outbursts following his impeachment
Busia Senator and 2027 presidential hopeful Okiya Omtatah has come out in defence of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, describing his outbursts following his controversial ouster from office in 2024 as justifiable.
Speaking during an interview on a local TV station on Tuesday, August 5, Omtatah said Gachagua’s actions were justified, especially if the Kenya Kwanza coalition failed to honour internal power-sharing agreements that had been made before the 2022 general elections.
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According to Omtatah, the Kenya Kwanza alliance was formed based on ethnic groupings, with each faction securing certain promises through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). He argued that if Gachagua’s demands were based on the implementation of such an MoU, his public expressions of discontent were not only warranted but also understandable.
“Based on the evidence brought to the Senate, Gachagua was enforcing the MoU, flawed as it was,” Omtatah explained.
Adding;
“They (Kenya Kwanza) came into this arena as tribes, so everyone was fighting for their group. So, if Gachagua was promised something and he was not given it, he had a right to blow the vuvuzela.”
The senator pointed to what he termed the selective implementation of the coalition agreement. He cited National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Senate Speaker Amason Kingi as clear beneficiaries of the pact, having received top positions that were allegedly promised to them ahead of the elections.
Omtatah questioned why Gachagua would be faulted for demanding his share of the bargain when others had already secured theirs.
“Wetangula was promised to be Speaker of the National Assembly; he resigned his position as a Senator, and he went and picked it up. Mr. Kingi was promised to be the Speaker of the Senate; he is the Speaker of the Senate. If Gachagua was promised something and was not given, for heaven’s sake, he had a right to blow the vuvuzela,” he said.
While expressing openness to working with Gachagua in future political arrangements, Omtatah was quick to clarify that such a collaboration would have to be anchored on a shared ideological foundation, rather than political convenience.
“I would work with Gachagua, but it will be on the question of the ideological framework,” he said.
Campaign against Ruto
Gachagua was impeached by Parliament in October 2024, following months of tension between him and President William Ruto. Despite the impeachment, Gachagua has refused to retreat from the political limelight. Instead, he has intensified his criticism of President Ruto, accusing him of betraying the people he serves and of impunity.
He has also taken his campaign abroad, criticising the government’s international ties and pushing for a reassessment of Kenya’s diplomatic relations. Gachagua is now positioning himself as a central opposition figure in the run-up to the 2027 general election.
