The Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has today laid bare the secret power sharing deals president William Ruto allegedly bargained and consented to with regional political kingpins currently occupying plum positions in the Kenya Kwanza administration as part of the pre-election pact preceding the hotly contested 2022 presidential polls.
While addressing the nation in a televised press briefing late evening today, Gachagua put forward an agreement signed by Kenya Kwanza co-principals in an apparent attempt to defend and rebuff accusations of tribalism laid against him at the National Assembly.
In an explosive press address, the DP said his ‘shareholders’ remarks have been misconstrued and used against him, yet president Ruto consented to a shareholding pact before his election in 2024.
He publicly disclosed details of a power-sharing agreement that has thrust National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi into the spotlight.
Gachagua revealed that in the Kenya Kwanza coalition agreement, Speaker Wetangula and CS Mudavadi negotiated their positions and a 30 per cent stake in government in return for 70 per cent votes for Ruto in the Western region which they never delivered.
The revelation, which is part of Gachagua’s defence against allegations of using the “shareholder concept” to create ethnic divisions, comes at a time when the deputy president is facing an impeachment motion accusing him of fostering national division through power-sharing.
The agreement, signed by the Kenya Kwanza coalition’s constituent parties, including UDA, ANC, and Ford Kenya, detailed a plan to allocate government positions and development projects across specific regions.
“The agreements stated that the shares each party would get in regard to appointive positions in the National Government would be commensurate with the number of MPs, Senators, and MCAs elected on each party’s ticket as a percentage of the total number of candidates elected on a Kenya Kwanza platform and the votes received as percentage of the total number of votes cast in the Presidential campaigns of the August 2022 election.” Gachagua says in his defence.
According to the agreement, which Gachagua referred to in his defence, Wetangula’s Ford Kenya and Mudavadi’s ANC were guaranteed 30 per cent of national government positions split equally between the two parties.
The listed positions included Cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries, high commissioners, ambassadors, and diplomatic consular representatives, chairpersons of state corporations, directors of state corporations, and chairpersons of constitutional commissions.
In return the ANC and Ford Kenya were to ensure that Ruto won 70 per cent of the votes in the areas the parties have influence, something the DP said they were unable to achieve.
“ANC will be allocated the position of Prime Cabinet Secretary to be established between 14 days… FORD Kenya will be allocated the position of the Speaker of the National Assembly. In accord with article 21 of the power sharing agreement, ANC and FORD Kenya would have 30 per cent share of National gov’t positions.” Gachagua read the said agreement.
The besieged DP said regions bargained with the President for shares, and leaders of parties forming Kenya Kwanza coalition equally demanded a piece of the Kenya Kwanza cake.
“I have never talked about sharing resources, I have been talking about power sharing. For people to get what they deserve in sharing power according to this agreement,” Gachagua added.
The shareholders’ remarks made by the Deputy President in various occasions is among the reasons why Members of Parliament want him to leave office.
In a 100-page impeachment motion tabled by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse on October 1, 2024, Gachagua is accused of dividing the country along tribal lines.
The Deputy President is also accused of undermining the presidency, violating the oath of office and contradicting the National Cohesion and Integration Act.
He, however, dismissed claims that he has been undermining his boss terming them as absurd.
He said that since assuming office in September 2022, president Ruto has never once called him out for alleged insubordination.
“For the record, president William Ruto has never complained to me that I’ve undermined him. If he has conveyed that to Honorable Mutuse, I would like to know about it.” Gachagua said, defending his actions and in what seemed to be a veiled jibe directed to his boos.
Tomorrow, Gachagua will stand trial before the National Assembly. He has unveiled a legal team led by seasoned lawyer Paul Mwite to argue his case before MPs.