UDA party now plots to kick out impeached DP Gachagua

Impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua faces ejection from a party he helped form.

UDA has begun the process of removing him as deputy party leader.

The party is scheduled to hold a National Executive Committee meeting where  Deputy President-elect Kithure Kindiki, whose swearing-in as President William Ruto’s substantive DP was temporarily stopped by the courts, is expected to replace Gachagua.

On Monday, UDA officials said the party constitution did not allow a person other than the Deputy President to be its deputy leader.

“If he (Gachagua) is not DP then he should step aside and let someone else take over as deputy party leader,” said Secretary-General Hassan Omar.

The party treasurer, Japheth Nyakundi, said ejecting Gachagua would take “two weeks”.

“We will eject him. Kithure Kindiki is the de facto deputy party leader. We will have a NEC meeting to remove him because he does not adhere to our party’s values. He is only interested in advocating for the rights of one region.”

Gachagua, ousted last week by the Senate, is in court seeking to overturn his removal from office. The National Assembly overwhelmingly voted to impeach the DP for violating 11 charges related to gross violation of the Constitution, allegedly committing crimes and gross misconduct.

The Senate upheld five out of the 11 charges, with the National Assembly subsequently unanimously voting to have Prof Kindiki replace Gachagua as DP.

Gachagua faces isolation within his party, amid a looming purge targeting his allies. In August, the party removed Malala, who has recently criticised Ruto for his treatment of Gachagua.

“Have you become this heartless, Mr President? Have you become this heartless to the sense that your deputy president is sick but you are fighting him down?” Malala said last week when he visited Gachagua at the Karen Hospital.

The DP has faced previous troubles as UDA deputy party leader.