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| Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli |
Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has backed plans by MPs to censure Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
According to Atwoli, the Deputy President is overstepping his mandate by appearing to disagree with his boss, President William Ruto. He also took issue with Gachagua over his alleged disclosure of state secrets.
“Enda soma Official Secrets Act. Wewe (Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua) ulibeba Biblia, ukasema ewe Mwenyezi Mungu nisaidie to run the government. Then you start contradicting government policies, and yet you sit in the Cabinet and the National Security Committee. No country can tolerate such a person,” he charged at an event in Uasin Gishu on Saturday.
As second in command and principal assistant to the head of state, Gachagua “cannot be contradicting government policies, your own president, and everything. A Deputy President is not even supposed to be heard unless he is told so. One country cannot have two Presidents at the same time.”
The COTU boss has reiterated his earlier stance that to avoid the current situation, the appointment of a Deputy President should be looked at to ensure that the Deputy is appointed by the President, as was the case previously.
“A Deputy President should be an appointee of the President and not a running mate. When he becomes a running mate, he feels like he is also a President. President William Ruto is out of the country and he (Rigathi Gachagua) is on top of his car. Now he is the (acting) President misleading and misguiding the nation,” he explained.
He insists, the DP is wrong when he appears to be mobilizing and championing the interests of sections of the country at the exclusion of others.
“Hiyo mlima ni yetu sisi sote. Inaitwa Mt Kenya. Sisi ni Wakenya. Mtu asituambie sisi watu wa mlima, kwani sisi wengine ni watu wa wapi?” he posed.
Atwoli spoke even as Teso South MP Mary Emase confirmed that a motion to oust Gachagua from the Deputy President’s post will be tabled in Parliament next week.
“There is a motion in the office of the Speaker of the National Assembly to be tabled and moved on Tuesday next week to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. We are concerned. We want a Deputy President for Kenya, not a Deputy President for one region.” She said
By Eric Biegon
