Kindiki slams Gachagua for linking Ruto to CJ Koome's ouster plot
Since his impeachment in October 2024, Gachagua has consistently taken on President Ruto’s administration, accusing it of poor governance and betrayal of the Mt. Kenya region.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has once again defended his boss against ousted Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, dismissing allegations that President William Ruto is orchestrating the removal of Chief Justice Martha Koome.
Speaking in Meru on Sunday, Gachagua alleged that President Ruto was plotting to oust CJ Koome for refusing to align with his administration, warning that such a move would not go unchallenged, particularly by the Meru people.
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“She is being fought because she has refused to be a 'yes sir' person. 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,” Gachagua said.
Gachagua further accused President Ruto of unfairly targeting Koome and challenged him to take on political battles with his peers instead.
“You fought with me because I am a man, leave Martha Koome alone, she is a woman. Why are you fighting women? Can you fight your fellow men?” he posed.
The embattled politician warned that if Koome were removed, he would mobilise Meru residents to protest against the State, condemning what he termed as a systematic onslaught against the Mt. Kenya region.
But in a sharp rebuttal, Kindiki dismissed Gachagua’s claims, warning against politicising judicial matters. He maintained that the removal of judges should be handled strictly through constitutional and legal channels, rather than being turned into a political or ethnic debate.
“Removal of a judge from office is purely a constitutional matter and not a political or ethnic issue. Accusers and defenders of judges must use constitutional and legal arguments to state their positions rather than trivialising such a weighty legal matter by bringing ethnicity into the equation,” Kindiki said.
Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen also took a swipe at Gachagua emphasising that judicial officials are assessed based on their competence and not tribal affiliations. He affirmed that President Ruto would not entertain any tribal-based rhetoric.
“Other people are saying that they are defending the Judiciary through their tribe. If a judge is being defended to remain in office because of his tribe, that is a very serious problem in the country. I thought every judge is there by virtue of competence and capacity to lead the judiciary,” Murkomen said.
Mogotio MP Reuben Kiborek also dismissed claims that the President was targeting the Chief Justice, stressing that her role as head of the Judiciary is non-political. He alleged that Gachagua’s support for Koome was an attempt to influence a court case in his favour.
“You are pretending to be supporting CJ Koome with a clear intention that you have a case before the court, and you know that case will end in the Supreme Court in the hands of the CJ. So pretending that you are defending Koome is to try and influence the case. That amounts to corruption,” he said.
Meanwhile, Environment CS Aden Duale urged Gachagua to refrain from attacking Ruto and instead wait for the 2027 elections to present his political agenda.
“To my former friend and Deputy President, don't become pedestrian. When you take the mic, you are in charge, and you should tell the truth. Leave the President alone, wait for your time in 2027, and have an agenda for the people of Kenya,” Duale said while speaking in Garissa.
Since his impeachment in October 2024, Gachagua has consistently taken on President Ruto’s administration, accusing it of poor governance and betrayal of the Mt. Kenya region.
However, Ruto’s allies, particularly Kindiki, have consistently defended him, maintaining his commitment to the pledge he made during his swearing-in on November 1, 2024; to remain “loyal and faithful” to the president.
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