Gachagua: Graft charges can’t bar me from becoming DP
By K24 Editorial, May 16, 2022United Democratic Alliance (UDA) presidential candidate William Ruto‘s newly unveiled running mate Rigathi Gachagua has said Ksh12 billion graft charges against him cannot bar him from running for any office.
Speaking on a local television station on Sunday night, Gachagua said the constitution does not bar anyone facing criminal charges from vying for any office until one exhausts all appeal processes.
“Allegations are not a conviction. Our constitution is very clear that you can only be barred from running for office when you have been convicted and you’ve exhausted all appeal mechanisms offered by the law.
“These cases are as old as history. Nelson Mandela was jailed in Roben Island for 27 years and went on to become the best president South Africa has ever had,” he said.
He said Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto were elected in 2013 as president and deputy president respectively while facing crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Gachagua blames politics for his graft charges
Gachagua further said the charges facing him are politically instigated.
“Our government decided along the way to use the justice system to force people to follow what the president wants.
“When I was intimidated to support the handshake and I refused, the criminal justice system was set against me. Everybody knows I made my money during Mwai Kibaki’s regime.
“Between 2013 and 2017, Uhuru was my buddy and no one raised a finger against me and no one questioned my money. But the moment I refused to support the handshake, I was intimidated,” he said.
Ruto picked Gachagua on Sunday, May 15 as his running mate ahead of the August 9 general election.