Gachagua: How I confronted Ruto over cabinet appointments & had my way

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has opened up on the tense moments that preceded the announcement of new Cabinet Secretaries after President William Ruto dissolved his cabinet in the wake of last year’s Gen Z protests.

Gachagua who gave his version of events on Friday at Justin Muturi’s Muturi's book launch recounted that the reconstitution of the cabinet was shrouded in secrecy, detailing how he confronted President William Ruto after being called to join the President in announcing new CSs without knowing who would be appointed.

According to Gachagua, Ruto summoned him alongside Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to join the head of state at a press conference where the second batch of Cabinet Secretaries was to be announced.

Ruto had prepared the list without involving Gachagua and their role was to simply flank the president as he made the announcement.

Dramatic confrontation

The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader who was serving as Ruto’s deputy at the time insisted on seeing the list, making it clear that he could not flank the president without seeing the names.

In the next appointment, he called Musalia and I to flank him and announce the last batch. He was in a hurry and told us to go. I told him to wait, how do we flank you to announce what we don't know? If we're flanking you, we must be part and parcel of it. I cannot hear it for the first time with the rest of Kenyans and the press. Ruto rushed to his office

According to the former DP, Ruto retreated to his office and whipped out the list which he threw at Gachagua while cautioning him over his conduct.

Final list altered & threat of storming out of press conference

Gachagua narrated that he reviewed the final list and established that Justin Muturi had been left out and replaced by someone else.

Ruto came back and threw the list at me. I looked at it and found that JB had been dropped and he had put someone else. I asked him, who's this? He's somebody Cecily Mbarire brought. I told him I couldn't be part and parcel of it.

He then made it clear to the President that he would only join him if Muturi is included in the list.

Ruto who was not impressed with the theatrics allowed him to strike out one name from the list and replace it with Justin Muturi’s.

He said, wewe Rigathi, hii ukabila yako itakufikisha wapi. He kept quiet for three minutes and told me to remove the name and place J.B.

I told him that if we went to the press and you announced the other name, I'll walk away when the press. That's how JB got his job back. After that, I was thrown away and he followed me.

Not long afterwards, Gachagua was kicked out of government, becoming the first DP to be impeached.