In the wake of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s lamentation that he was removed from President William Ruto’s WhatsApp Group to presumably exclude him from State affairs, more details have emerged on the purpose of the group, its membership and reasons behind its deletion.
DP Gachagua was expelled from the group by President William Ruto's private secretary, Rueben Maiyo
File image of President William Ruto (R) looking at a phone held by Kikuyu MP kimani Ichung'wah
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In an interview with Citizen TV, Gachagua noted that he was removed from the WhatsApp group a week ago by President Ruto’s private secretary Rueben Maiyo with Dennis Itumbi confirming the existence of the group.
Membership was reserved for Senior government officials and an exclusive list of their staff.
Purpose of Ruto's WhatsApp group
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The group in question served to align the schedules of both President William Ruto and his deputy, with DP Gachagua noting that he, alongside his team was removed from the WhatsApp group where the President’s itinerary is shared, presumably to exclude them from State affairs.
“About a week ago, we were removed from that diary so we were not able to follow what was going on and so we cannot align. When I am aware where the President is, I am always there. When I am not aware, there is nothing I can do about it.
“It is a WhatsApp Group and it’s updated as we go on and we keep on aligning. I was removed, my private secretary and Chief of Staff was removed and so we have no access to the diary." Gachagua explained.
File image of President William Ruto with his deputy Rigathi Gachagua
File image of President William Ruto with his deputy Rigathi Gachagua
Pulse Live Kenya
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Gachagua reads malice after expulsion from Ruto's WhatsApp group
Reading mischief in the move, Gachagua noted that those behind it want to see to it that he fails to attend state functions or arrives late for the President’s meetings so that they can claim that he is disrespectful and absconding duties.
“There is mischief to remove me from the Presidential diary so that once I do not attend Presidential events, it can be purported that I am absconding duty. I hear that was one of the grounds for impeachment. Sometimes they want me to appear late so that it can appear I am disrespectful,” the DP remarked.
Members of the group that DP Gachagua & his team were expelled from
Membership was drawn from both the President and his deputy’s team, with collaboration from both sides to ensure that the itineraries of the two leaders are aligned.
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Gachagua’s private secretary and his Chief of staff were among the members of the group that also included similar representation from President Ruto’s side.
The president and his deputy were also in the group to keep abreast with each other’s diary.
According to an update shared by the Head of Presidential Special Projects & Creative Economy, Dennis Itumbi, CS Aden Duale, Kipchumba Karori and Emmanuel Talam were also members of the group that has since been deleted.
Itumbi reveals 2 concerns that led to deletion of Ruto's WhatsApp group
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Dennis Itumbi confirmed the existence of the WhatsApp group referenced by Gachagua.
He shared a screenshot that appeared to show members being removed from the group, claiming that the President was removed from the group that was eventually deleted even before the DP.
Dennis Itumbi
Dennis Itumbi
Pulse Live Kenya
According to Itumbi, the group was deleted as a result of highly classified documents being shared in WhatsApp groups and a security decision made that no other group would be formed.
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“Yes, the Diary group was deleted. What DP @rigathi fails to mention is that the President was removed even before him, and The group was permanent DELETED due to the highly classified documents being shared in WhatsApp groups. A security decision was also made that no other group would be formed on the DIARY.” Itumbi wrote on X.
