NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 21 — Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua may have omitted facts on circumstances leading to his alleged removal from a WhatsApp group sharing President William Ruto’s diary.
Gachagua went public about his purported expulsion from the group on Friday, hours after he launched an aggresive campaign against President Ruto over his tolerance to attacks agaisnt him.
In a rejoinder however, Dennis Itumbi, President Ruto’s Head of Special Projects and Creative Economy, said Gachagua’s removal was preceded by the removal of several other members including the President following concerns over security risks posed by the sharing of the Head of State’s diary on an open forum.
“Yes, the Diary group was deleted. What DP Rigathi Gachagua fails to mention is that the President was removed even before him, and the group was permanent[ly] DELETED due to the highly classified documents being shared in WhatsApp groups,” he explained.
He further noted that a security decision disallowed the formation of any online platforms on the Presidential Diary.
Gachagua had earlier expressed concern that his removal from the group, which surprisingly included 1,554 members according to a screenshot availed, was an attempt to undermine his role as the Principal Assistant to the President.
The DP said his team was unable to access the President’s diary to align his engagements accordingly.
He described the removal as “an act of mischief” aimed at portraying him as neglecting his duties.
The Deputy President specifically accused President Ruto’s Private Secretary, Reuben Maiyo, of kicking him out together with his team, including his Chief of Staff.
‘Mischief’
“About a week ago, we [were] removed from that diary so we were not able to follow what was going on and so we cannot align. When I am aware where the President is, I am always there. When I am not aware, there is nothing I can do about it,” Gachagua told Citizen TV Friday night.
Despite the situation, Gachagua reiterated his respect for the President and his office, rejecting any notion that he would deliberately skip State functions.
“I am a very obedient public officer. I was a man in uniform, and I have tremendous respect for the President and his office,” he said noting, “Iwould be the last person not to attend events or to go late.”
The Deputy President revealed that prior to the change, he had access to the Presidential diary, allowing him to align his activities with the President’s agenda.
“It has even made my work really complicated because I am just there, not knowing what the President has,” Gachagua lamented.
Gachagua, who did not see off President Ruto when he jetted off to the United States on Friday night, said he had no information on when the Head of State would depart.
“I hear that absconding of duty was one of the grounds they wanted to look for in my impeachment,” he said.
The Deputy President stopped short of blaming President Ruto directly for the situation, suggesting instead that handlers within the Presidency might be responsible for creating friction.
“I don’t think the President, in my view, would be petty to ask anybody to remove me from the diary. I think it’s just some handlers within the Presidency who want to create mischief.”
