The Mt Kenya Times 
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua
By: N. George
Worth Noting:
- On the issue of dollar hitting record high against the Kenya shilling the second in command argued that covid-19 outbreak in 2020 significantly reduced the foreign exchange earnings for the country from the tourism sector as there were closure of international boundaries and restriction of local movements. This was coupled by continued drought situation which is the more severe in the last forty years hence huge demand for dollar due to food imports.
- To correct the situation the Kenya Kwanza government has agreed with a gulf cooperation council country to supply it with fuel on credit basis for a period of six months so that the pressure on shilling can reduce as the country requires excess of 500 billion US dollar monthly to import petroleum products.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in an interview with regional media stations from the Mt. Kenya region hosted at his Karen home on Friday 17th march 2023 discussed the state of the nation; benefits accrued by the region and responded to questions on emerging issues. He reiterated the Kenya Kwanza government commitment to fulfiling campaign pledges.
Being the highest ranking government official from the region and second in command in the country he assured the locals his unwavering faith and dedication to protecting the gains they have earned from their overwhelming support to the ruling regime.
Responding to the issue of nomination of fifty cabinet assistant secretaries instead of twenty three as per salaries and remuneration commission recommendation DP Gachagua said that they inherited a dysfunctional that need quick and efficient fixation hence larger workforce among the top management so that when CS is out of country looking for market of Kenyan products the CAS is in office attending to those seeking ministries management services whereas when CS is in country the CAS can be sent to look for markets in foreign countries or to inspect government projects within the country as oppose to the previous regimes where the top government officials relied on other people to inspect development projects on their behalf whose report at times failed to reflect the true state of issues on the ground.
According to him those who cannot understand the justification for these CAS will appreciate their role within two years after witnessing the gains that will have been achieved by the new work model.
On the issue of dollar hitting record high against the Kenya shilling the second in command argued that covid-19 outbreak in 2020 significantly reduced the foreign exchange earnings for the country from the tourism sector as there were closure of international boundaries and restriction of local movements. This was coupled by continued drought situation which is the more severe in the last forty years hence huge demand for dollar due to food imports.
To correct the situation the Kenya Kwanza government has agreed with a gulf cooperation council country to supply it with fuel on credit basis for a period of six months so that the pressure on shilling can reduce as the country requires excess of 500 billion US dollar monthly to import petroleum products.
Discussing the issue of high food prices especially maize flour he said that their efforts has started bearing fruits where a 2kg has dropped from Ksh 230 when they took reigns of governance to the current Ksh175. He went ahead and promised that intervention measures taken among them lowering of cost of production like fertilizer where the government subsidized a 50 kg bag to cost Ksh 3500 from Ksh 7000 will go a long way into ensuring the cost of a 2 kg packet of flour fall further to around Ksh 120. On the same issue he highlighted that the failure of rains has worsened the situation yet this is uncontrollable phenomenon as it is a natural occurrence.
Questions were raised about inclusion in government of Azimio One Kenya Party leader who also doubles as minority leader Hon Raila Odinga. He has been involved in country wide campaigns agitating for lowering of food prices and better government, Gachagua traced his history of his purported agitation for change going back to the 1982 failed coup de tat where many innocent Kenyans died and others were imprisoned with a relatively huge being from the Mt. Kenya region, the aftermath of1 997 general elections where Raila unsatisfied with reelection of then president Daniel Arap Moi called for street protested that culminated into his admission into government alongside his National Development Party (NDP) only for Raila to split the ruling party KANU in run up to 2002 general election leading to its defeat during that year’s general election for the first time in its forty years rule.
In the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) government that took over from KANU lead by Late President Mwai Kibaki his fallout with Raila lead to the later decamping to form Orange democratic movement (ODM) that faulted declaration of Kibaki as winner for second term in december2007 general elections street protests where Kenyans lost lives in the post-election violence (PEV) only for international community to intervene for him to be admitted into government. Gachagua claimed that Odinga inclusion derailed Kibaki robust plan for economic development making him fulfill just a third of what he had intended due to tedious decision making process, bloated administration and constant wrangles in the coalition government.
In the start second term of 4th Kenyan president Hon Uhuru Kenyatta, Odinga disputed the poll results went to supreme court who annulled it necessitating a repeat election within 60 day which he boycotted Uhuru went ahead and won. Odinga continued protests lead to his inclusion in Uhuru’s Jubilee government the aftermath was alienation of then deputy president and current president Hon William Ruto from government alongside his allies, failure to implement of big four agenda that formed the major pillars for the reelection of Jubilee party in 2017 general elections and as a protest to high costs of living and unfulfilled promises the Mt. Kenya region voted against Kenyatta’s preferred candidate during the August 2022 general elections. Currently Odinga is continuing with countrywide mass action against the Kenya Kwanza government
In his general assessment Gachagua does not anticipate that he will be included in current government as per the history such an action will derail government economic agenda and the habitual protester will never accept to own any failure of government that he forcefully joins.
Not only was the interview conducted at DP Karen home instead of his official home, the DP resides in his private home due to the dilapidated official residence owing previous government failure to carry out regular maintenance by failing to allocate those expenses in its budget. This has been attributed to last regime bad blood between the president and his deputy.
Still to do with DP where his office was allocated Ksh 500 million by the then treasury cabinet secretary Ukur Yatani Gachagua said that former DP William Ruto office was not allocated budget he had to struggle to meet expenses for his office from personal cash where he used to privately fuel government cars as well as cater for other expenses like catering for his office.
Upon ascending to power then then statehouse controller Kinuthia Mbugua and Treasury cabinet secretary saw it wise to allocate DP’s office some cash amounting to Ksh 1.5 billion but could only raise Ksh 500 million. He cleared the doubt that at any one time did he request for budget as claim by some the former treasury CS.
The issue of public service vehicles popularly known as matatus was also mentioned in the interview where he reiterated his earlier claim that banding them from city centre would have inconvenienced businesses as the passengers doubled as traders and buyers in those business furthermore most of those participants are the electorates who voted for the Kenya Kwanza regime and it is their duty to protect their interests as promised during the election campaigns.
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