Ruto plotted to oust CJ Koome long ago, claims Gachagua

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto of orchestrating an assault on the judiciary as part of a broader strategy for full state capture.

In an interview on KTN, on Monday evening, Gachagua claimed that Ruto had previously expressed intentions to manage the electoral cycle and Supreme Court.

“I must tell the people of Kenya that we have to be very careful because the president wants and pronounced himself before me many times that he needs to manage the electoral cycle from the IEBC to the Supreme Court. He dictated his desire to have the entire bench replaced so that he can put in place one that would do what he wants, and that is very dangerous for the country,” said Gachagua.

Gachagua further alleged that Ruto had long planned to remove Chief Justice Martha Koome for resisting political interference.

“He shared with me and many times he even quarreled with me that a daughter from the mountain was being problematic and accused me of being unable to manage her to do things the way the president wants,” he claimed.

“He confided in me many times; he even quarreled with me that a ‘daughter’ from the mountain was being problematic and accused me of being unable to manage her to do things the way the president wants,” he claimed.

According to Gachagua, the president’s efforts to unseat Koome could succeed, since he [Ruto] has an influence within the Judicial Service Commission.

 “The president will thereafter establish a tribunal himself and he will determine the outcome. I urge the international community to keep a close eye on this country because if he succeeds in reshaping Supreme Court, state capture will be complete,” he added.

Since his removal from office, Gachagua has emerged as a vocal critic of the Ruto administration, frequently challenging government policies and decisions. His recent opposition to efforts to remove Chief Justice Koome has intensified political tensions.

“If you chase our Martha Koome, don’t set foot in Meru. You chased Rigathi Gachagua, and the Mt. Kenya people were silent—you thought they were cowards,” he said on Sunday.

His remarks have drawn criticism from government allies, who accuse him of exploiting ethnic sentiments.

In response, Gachagua dismissed the accusations: “He is trying to say that my defense of Martha Koome is ethnic, I want to ask ‘Mr Yes Sir,’ when I said that the DG of the NIS is incompetent, members of the Somali community came out in fury to defend him, I never heard Mr. Yes Sir say that that is ethnicity”.

Meanwhile, four petitions have been filed seeking the removal of Supreme Court and High Court judges.

One of the petitions, filed by lawyer Nelson Havi and three others, accuses the judges of gross misconduct and misbehavior.