Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has terminated the employment of two senior aides, intensifying speculation regarding growing divisions within the Kenya Kwanza government.
This decision, made on Tuesday, August 20, resulted in the dismissal of Deputy Director of Public Communications Martha Miano and Personal Assistant Francis Ngotho Maina. READ FULL STORY
Their dismissal has been attributed to incompetence; however, sources suggest that the situation may be more intricate.
There are claims that the loyalty of the two aides to President William Ruto could have influenced their removal.
In a correspondence directed to Martha Miano and Francis Ngotho Maina, the Deputy President’s office cited the Local Agreement Form (Revised 2017) as the foundation for their termination.
“The Government may at any time determine the engagement of the person engaged by giving him/her two (2) months’ notice in writing, or paying him/her two (2) months’ salary in lieu of notice,” the letter read.
The letters to both aides outlined the terms of their departure, including a prorated service gratuity of 31 per cent of their basic salary.
At the same time, ousted Secretary General of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leveled accusations against senior party officials, claiming they are behind a scheme to impeach Gachagua.
In a press conference, he attributed his removal to Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire.
Describing his ousting as ‘illegal,’ Malala asserted that the two, along with other conspirators, devised a plan to first eliminate him before advancing the impeachment of Gachagua.
“That this coup was plotted and orchestrated by two senior party officials alongside others within the party secretariat. These senior officials are Mrs. Cecily Mbarire, and Mr. Kimani Ichungwa, MP for Kikuyu constituency
“That my ouster by the above officials had nothing to do with incompetence or my inability to run the UDA party, but was a well-choreographed script intended to climax with the impeachment of the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua,” Malala said.
Malala contended that the two individuals were irritated by his amicable rapport with both the deputy president and his superior, leading them to orchestrate a plan to eliminate the hindrance.
“My close and inevitable working relationship with the deputy president, who is also the UDA deputy party leader irked them, and when their concerted effort, lobbying and coercion to set me against my Deputy Party Leader failed, I was effectively profiled and labelled an obstacle towards their evil plot and conspiracy to have Rigathi Gachagua impeached,” he stated.
Malala stated that Ichung’wah and Mbarire aimed to impeach Gachagua in order to strategically enhance their political standing in the Mt Kenya region for the upcoming elections in 2027 and 2032.
He dismissed allegations suggesting that President William Ruto or members of the Opposition were involved in the Deputy President’s potential removal.
“Let it be known that the planned impeachment of the deputy president had nothing to do with President William Ruto, the broad-based government or any other narrative the coup plotters have advanced
“The impeachment had everything to do with egocentric 2027 and 2032 politics from the Mt. Kenya region and was instigated and propelled by Mrs. Cecily Mbarire and Mr. Kimani Ichungwa. These two want our deputy president out so that they can strategically position themselves within the emerging political re-alignments,” he said.
