Gachagua: Raila is back to his old behaviour

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga of sabotaging the Kenya Kwanza government's agenda.

Speaking when he opened National Assembly Majority Party Conference on Legislative Matters in Nairobi on Monday, December 5, Rigathi said Raila is back to his "old behaviour".

"Uhuru was pushing us towards the old man, and we told him we knew the old man's ways and he could not change them.

"Now he is back to his old behaviour. He is saying his election victory was stolen. He had the deep state and the system, who could have robbed him?" He posed.

Gachagua's remarks came days after President William Ruto and Raila exchanged bitter salvo of accusations online.

President Ruto has warned the Opposition chief that his anticipated countrywide rallies will not stop operations of the tribunal formed to investigate the conduct of the electoral agency commissioners.

The President said Raila and his lieutenants were free to hold demonstrations in any part of the country provided they do not interfere with the property of other citizens.

Ruto said he had already directed Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki to provide adequate security to the opposition rallies.

“We know you and your operations, what we need from you is a schedule of your rallies so that we can provide you with security even if they last for years,” Ruto told a church congregation in Embu county adding: “We are used to these people and I want to assure Kenyans that the plan we have to change the economy will continue whether we have protests or not. We know the Azimio coalition doesn’t want this country to progress, they want Kenyans to remain poor.”

Ruto, Raila political war

President Ruto said the current strides by his administration to deliver on its promises had irked the opposition leader who intends to stage demonstrations to destabilize the nation.

“We will obtain a schedule and provide him (Raila) with security for his demonstrations even if they take a year,” said Ruto.

Be steadfast Ruto spoke as Raila, warned Kenyans to be wary of the return of dictatorship in the country through the President’s leadership.

“That’s why we are saying that so many things have gone wrong, and we must rejuvenate the protests against the glaring dictatorship,” Raila said giving an account of how the late President Daniel Moi entrenched dictatorship and tribalism in Kenya.

“I was there when Moi started changing the Constitution, and nobody would stand against him until I stood up to say no to his excesses, which saw me arrested and jailed several times before I decided to seek political asylum abroad,” he said, calling on Kenyans to be steadfast and oppose any form of dictatorship.

“The signs of dictatorship are clear. When you see so many people being turned into sycophants and singing praises for the President you must be wary. We must say no to the ugly face of dictatorship. On Wednesday, we are going to Kamukunji,” he said.

Raila has declared that starting Wednesday at Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi, he will start national wide rallies aimed at “bringing down President Ruto’s system.”

“On the 7th of December, at the historic Kamukunji grounds here in Nairobi, we will launch public consultations with the people of Kenya to brainstorm on the direction the country is taking,” Raila said at the weekend after meeting Azimio leaders from Nairobi county.

But in a quick rejoinder, President Ruto tweeted, “Even with the system/deep state you lost the election. Stop deluding yourself and lying. The coup to overturn the people’s will using rogue commissioners, you are now threatening us with maandamano about, failed. Their guilt or innocence will be determined by Tribunal. Rule of law it is.”

The tweet by the Head of State has far-reaching ramifications on the four commissioners, Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Irene Masit and Justus Nyang’aya with sources indicating that even if they opted to resign from the office they will still have to face the Justice Muchelule tribunal.

The four disowned the declaration of President Ruto as the winner of the last General Election. Nyang’aya tendered his resignation last week while IEBC Vice Chair Juliana Cherera resigned today, Monday, December 5.