National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah on Tuesday September 17 relayed an incident where Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua allegedly assaulted Digital Strategist Dennis Itumbi at the height of the 2022 election campaigns.
Recalling the incident during an interview with Spice FM, Ichung’wah claimed the incident occurred at an unspecified State Lodge. The Majority Leader narrated how the deputy president almost assaulted Dennis Itumbi just because he did not tweet what he expected him to.
“I don’t know what you would say of a person holding a higher state office, walks into a meeting at State lodge, grabs by the collar a junior officer by the name of Dennis Itumbi threatening him with physical assault within the precincts of State Lodge on the basis that someone who had no defined role until recently, is not tweeting the things you want him to tweet.” Ichung’wah said during an interview
Dennis Itumbi was back then highly involved in the Kenya Kwanza Campaigns playing a crucial role in helping President William Ruto ascend to the highest seat in the land.
Ichung’wah who was describing what he perceives as the deputy president’s vindictive nature , went on to give more examples of incidents where the deputy president allegedly reacted emotionally once people stop dancing to his tune or start associating with people he does not like.
Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah at the National Dialogue Committee meeting on August 21, 2023
Photo
Kimani Ichung’wah
He gave an example of how Gachagua apparently belittled his own MP Njuguna Kawanjiku by telling the entire world about how much money he spent for his dowry and wedding including the amount of time he spent for the ceremony
“You have heard the Kiambaa MP narrate his ordeal and I can tell you members of parliament especially the ones from the Mt. Kenya region have harrowing stories of what they have had to go through. I said the other day many of them shudder in fear because of this desperation and attempts to intimidate them.” He continued.
He also relayed another occasion where the deputy president referred to the MP from Baringo Florence Jematiah using lewd words just because she was working with the member for Kiharu Ndindi Nyoro.
All these intimidation and manipulation tactics, Ichungwah said, are a way for the deputy president to isolate the Mt Kenya people and use them for his own political ambitions and when anyone steps out of line, they face his wrath.
Ichung’wah also said that the deputy president was not carrying on his mandate properly which includes articulating to the public the government agendas and policies. He went on to argue that DP Gachagua chooses to complain and whine in vernacular stations when things do not go his way.
“We have a situation where now we have a deputy president who has never patronized a single national TV station to articulate government policy. He has never been anywhere. defend any government policy, articulate what government was doing, inform Kenyans. The only time my good friend has been on TV or radio is vernacular radio stations and vernacular TV, not articulating what you are doing as government, but whining and crying about this or that.” Ichung’wah said.
This, he said, was one of the reasons why he joined the 48 Mt Kenya members of parliament to front interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki as their link to the executive.
Denying claims that the move was political, he said that Kindiki is simply their choice to represent them in articulating policy and government development projects to Kenyans.
Collage Image of President William Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua speaking during past events.
PCS
/DPPS
