Gachagua’s Appeal for Peace Amid Political Tension
“I want to ask my brother President Ruto that if I have wronged you in any way, please find it in your heart to forgive me,”
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.Photo by The Star Kenya.
By Robert Mutasi
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua appealed to the nation for peace and unity in the country, amid rising political temperatures in the country.
Gachagua’s call comes amidst speculated prospects of his impeachment, an issue that has become the talk of the town in the country’s political dynamics.
Speaking during the church service in Karen on 6th October 2024 Gachagua spoke over the growing concerns of the brewing differences between him and President William Ruto.
In different emotional utterances, the Deputy President sought forgiveness, adding that he may have wronged his political colleagues, both the President and MPs.
“I want to ask my brother President Ruto that if I have wronged you in any way, please find it in your heart to forgive me,” Gachagua said in a speech in Nairobi.
The plea marked a rare moment of vulnerability for the hitherto loud and forceful political figure that is the Deputy President.
He even extended an olive branch to the Members of Parliament, asking them to forgive him in case there was something that he might have said or done that made them feel uneasy.
“To the MPs, if through our utterances and actions, we have upset or wronged you, find it in your heart to forgive me,” he added.
This was in the wake of reports of an increasing rift between him and President Ruto, with Gachagua trying to quell the storm by referring to previous challenges that the duo had faced in their political journey.
He recalled how the difficult times, with opposition from the state machinery against the President, were overcome.
“These things that happen are things we have witnessed, during those dire moments which we had with President William Ruto when everything was against him,” Gachagua said, optimistically adding that they were going to sail through the current struggles with God’s intervention.
“He had God on his side, and I am very persuaded that God Almighty that saw him through is not anywhere,” he added.
Gachagua also made a special appeal to the people of Rift Valley in his speech, calling on them to keep peace and unity amidst the political tempests.
“I want to call upon the people of Kenya to remain peaceful and love one another irrespective of the outcome. Specifically, I want to appeal to our brothers and sisters in the Rift Valley, where there are many communities, to leave this contest to the leaders,” said Gachagua.
With rumblings for his impeachment, Gachagua’s utterances suggest an effort to lower the temperature lest the political implications spill over into Kenyans turning on each other in violence.
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