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William Ruto gives Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment wide berth as he holds meeting at State House

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4 months ago

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President William Ruto flanked on the left by his deputy Rigathi Gachagua in a past state address. Photo: Simon Maina. Source: Getty Images
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  • It seems not even President William Ruto can salvage his deputy Rigathi Gachagua from the political guillotine he is currently in
  • Ruto has remained reticent on the ouster of his deputy, whose fate now lies with the members of the Kenyan legislature
  • The president seemed to continue with his duties unbothered as Gachagua’s impeachment gained momentum in its initial stages in the National Assembly

 

Eli Odaga, a journalist at Ekwutosblog , brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi – President William Ruto has continued to stay clear of the woes faced by his deputy Rigathi Gachagua, whose job is now on the line.

A motion to impeach Gachagua is already in the National Assembly, with the House scheduling public participation in the course of the proceedings.

A total of 291 MPs from across the aisle appended their signatures in support.

How has Ruto reacted to Gachagua’s planned impeachment?

Ruto’s loud silence on the proceedings against his deputy has led to many quarters concluding that he is in support.

The president returned to the country on Sunday after his official visit to the United States (US), where he attended the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Until Wednesday, October 2, Ruto was confined within the State House precincts; this as the notice to oust Gachagua was formally presented in the National Assembly on Tuesday, October 1.

On Wednesday, Ruto hosted the East African Community (EAC) Secretary General Veronica Nduva and other regional officials to deliberate on digitising the region’s institutions.

The president later met with the current and former governors and mayors of Africa and philanthropists and then graced the Magical Kenya Travel Expo opening ceremony at Nairobi’s Uhuru Gardens.

Gachagua was a no-show in the president’s day’s activities.

What is Ruto’s position on Gachagua’s impeachment?

While the president has been mum on the matter, the pronouncements by some of his close allies could indicate his position.

Kikuyu MP and the Leader of the Majority in the National Assembly Kimani Ichung’wah is among Ruto’s top loyalists; Ichung’wah supports the motion to oust Gachagua.

Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, Ruto’s junior in the National Executive, also endorsed the impeachment.

While serving the House with the notice of the motion on Tuesday, Kibwezi MP Mwengi Mutuse, who was the motion mover, placed a host of allegations on Gachagua’s name, promising to substantiate each in his bid to convince his colleagues to send the deputy president home.

The charges forming the grounds for the impeachment include alleged gross violations of the constitution, reckless and inflammatory remarks, misconduct regarding Gachagua’s responsibility as the principal assistant to Ruto, corrupt and unlawful acquisition of assets valued at upward of KSh 5.7 billion, and alleged violation of both national and international laws, including the National Cohesion and Integration Act.

How Gachagua will be impeached

Following the admission of the motion to the National Assembly, a debate (in plenary) will follow and a vote later taken.

The vote must have at least two-thirds of the MPs in support, which will indicate the House has resolved to impeach the deputy president.

The matter will be taken to the Senate, whose speaker will convene a seven-day meeting to review the charges against Gachagua.

Should the motion of impeachment be supported by at least two-thirds of the senators after the hearing of both sides, Gachagua will cease to be the deputy president.

This comes as the deputy president faults his boss for being behind the plot to have him deposed.

Gachagua is on record saying that his impeachment cannot be instituted without Ruto’s approval.

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Politics

‘Time for American people to know TRUTH’: Donald Trump orders declassification of assassination files of John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King

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3 hours ago

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January 24, 2025

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US President-elect Donald Trump (File photo: Reuters) © Provided by Asian News International (ANI)
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Washington, DC [US], January 24 (ANI): United States President Donald Trumpsigned the executive order ordering the declassification of records regarding the assassinations of President John F Kennedy, Senator Robert F Kennedy, and the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr, and said it is time for the American people to know the “truth”.

Sharing the detailed document, the White House stated, “Providing Americans with the truth after six decades of secrecy.”

“The Executive Order establishes the policy that, more than 50 years after these assassinations, the victims’ families and the American people deserve the truth,” the statement added.

Specifically, the order directs the Director of National Intelligence and other appropriate officials to Present a plan within 15 days for the full and complete release of all John F Kennedyassassination records and Immediately review the records relating to the Robert F Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr assassinations and present a plan for their full and complete release within 45 days.

Notably, In Trump’s first term, he ordered agencies to move toward disclosing more information about the John F Kennedy assassination

According to the White House, the President John F Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 required all records related to the assassination be released in 25 years, absent a presidential certification that: Continued postponement is necessary due to identifiable harm to the military defence, intelligence operations, law enforcement, or conduct of foreign relations; and Such identifiable harm is of such gravity that it outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

“In October 2017 and April 2018 certifications, President Trump directed agencies to reevaluate redactions and disclose any information that no longer warranted withholding. President Biden delayed disclosure in 2021, 2022, and 2023,” the statement added.

Trump said the continued withholding of the John F Kennedy records is “not in the public interest and is long overdue”, while further adding that releasing the Robert F Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. assassination records is in the ‘public interest’.

Notably, it was President Trump’s campaign promise to release assassination records to give Americans the truth.

President Trump pledged on multiple occasions to release the JFK files, specifically stating in June 2024 that he would do so “early on.”

“When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all JFK assassination-related documents. It’s been 60 years, time for the American people to know the TRUTH!” Trump stated. (ANI)

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info

).

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Politics

Niger Explosion: Governance must prioritize human lives through proactive policies – Peter Obi

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20 hours ago

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January 23, 2025

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Peter Obi, former governor and 2023 presidential candidate, has called for urgent safety measures to prevent recurring disasters like the tragic petrol tanker explosion that claimed over 100 lives in Suleja, Niger State.

Obi made this appeal during his visit to the site of the explosion, the gravesite, and the Sarkin Dikko palace along the Dikko-Maje Road.

“Today, emotion took the greater part of me as I left Lagos this morning and headed to the site of the tragic petrol tanker explosion, the gravesite, and also the Sarkin Dikko place along the Dikko-Maje Road in Suleja, Niger State, where over 100 lives were lost, more than 50 injured, and many properties destroyed,” Obi shared on his official X handle on Wednesday.

At the explosion site and the graveyard, where 80 victims were buried, Obi expressed sorrow over the preventable tragedy.

He also visited some of the injured victims at the hospital, offering them support and encouragement.

“These recurring disasters call for urgent safety measures: repairing roads, more enlightenment of tanker vehicle operators, investing in healthcare, and lifting people out of poverty to prevent such heartbreaking losses,” he added.

Obi extended his condolences and solidarity to the Dikko community during his meeting with Sarkin Dikko and his council.

He revealed the importance of proactive governance to safeguard human lives.

“Human lives are invaluable, and governance must prioritize their protection through proactive policies,” he stated.

“Together, we can ensure such tragedies become a thing of the past,” he said.

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Saudi crown prince says kingdom intends to invest billions in US during call with Trump

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21 hours ago

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January 23, 2025

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President Donald Trump meets with then deputy crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the White house on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017 Evan Vucci/Copyright 2017 The AP. All rights reserved.
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Saudi Arabia’s crown prince said on Thursday that the kingdom wants to invest $600 billion (€576 billion) in the United States over the next four years after a phone call with US President Donald Trump.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s comments come after Trump mused about returning to Saudi Arabia as his first foreign trip back in office.

State-run Saudi Press Agency said, “the crown prince affirmed the kingdom’s intention to broaden its investments and trade with the United States over the next four years, in the amount of $600 billion (€576 bn), and potentially beyond that.”

The agency did not elaborate on exactly how the money would be spent.

During their conversation, the two also reportedly discussed ways the two countries could cooperate to establish peace, security and stability in the Middle East.

There was no immediate response from the White House regarding the call. It also wasn’t clear whether Trump’s call with the crown prince was his first with a foreign leader since returning to the Oval Office.

However, it was his first reported abroad.

Trump’s relationship with Saudi Arabia

After his inauguration, Trump talked about the possibility of heading to the kingdom again as his first foreign trip, like he did in 2017.

“The first foreign trip typically has been with the UK but… I did it with Saudi Arabia last time because they agreed to buy $450 billion (€429 bn) worth of our products,” Trump told journalists in the Oval Office.

“I think I’d probably go (again),” the recently inaugurated leader said.

In recent years, the US has increasingly pulled away from relying on Saudi oil exports — once the bedrock the relationship between the two nations.

Trump maintained close relations with Saudi Arabia, even after the crown prince was embroiled in controversy after he was implicated in the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.

The billion dollar pledge, which dwarves the gross domestic product of many nations, comes as the kingdom faces budgetary pressures of its own. Global oil prices remain depressed years after the height of the coronavirus pandemic, affecting the kingdom’s revenues.

Meanwhile, the crown prince has continued to invest in NEOM, a new city in the Saudi Arabian desert. The country also needs to build tens of billions of dollar’s worth of new stadiums and infrastructure ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which it is hosting.

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