President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is considering punishing lawmakers who voted against the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
In a statement, the party’s founders association revealed a list of demands on Thursday, November 6, as they affirmed their contentment with the outcome of the impeachment motion against Gachagua.
The association demanded disciplinary action against members of the party whom they termed as errant.
“With respect to the foregoing UDA Founders Association, we demand that the party initiates disciplinary action against Members of Parliament who voted against the ouster motion on impeached DP in the light of the grave charges leveled against him,” the statement read in part.
In addition, the association also urged the people at the top of the hierarchy to ‘weed out’ leaders within the party who they perceived as a threat to the current cordial relationship between Ruto and AUC hopeful Raila Odinga.
President William Ruto with his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua at State House Nairobi.
William Ruto
The statement went on, “We demand that the party’s top brass commences a radical purge in the House Committees. The excision must weed out saboteurs who are bent on sabotaging the agenda of President William Ruto and jeopardize the spirit of unity as exemplified by Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga.”
In October 2024, 281 Members of the National Assembly voted yes to impeach Gachagua. 44 Members of Parliament voted no, while one chose to abstain.
One of the most vocal UDA leaders who boldly defended Gachagua against the odds was Githunguri lawmaker Gathoni Wamuchomba who stuck by the impeached DP through the gruelling court processes, which he ultimately lost.
Wamuchomba, in the past, sensationally claimed Gachagua’s woes started when President William Ruto chose him as his running mate – a move that she claimed angered his political adversaries.
Another UDA lawmaker who could find himself on the party’s chopping block is Kandara MP Chege Njuguna who also voted no before the National Assembly in early October. Kangema MP Peter Kihungi, Gilgil MP Martha Wangari, Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia, and Embakasi North MP James Gakuya are other UDA-affiliated lawmakers who voted against ousting Gachagua.
The bigger picture: UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar confirmed in October that plans were already underway to unveil Kithure Kindiki as its deputy party leader. At the time, the major stumbling block was the ongoing court cases challenging the impeachment of Gachagua, but they have since been concluded.
“We were moving forward as a party and we had committed to uniting the Kenyans regardless of their ethnicity yet he (Mr Gachagua) is preaching ethnicity and that is why he had to go,” Omar revealed.
UDA Party Secretary General Hassan Omar. PHOTO/ UDA
