Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba has made explosive claims detailing what she described as a covert and dramatic attempt to persuade former Deputy Presidentย Rigathi Gachaguaย to resign in exchange for a Sh1.8 billion payout from President William Ruto, at the height of his impeachment battle.
Speaking during an interview with Inooro TV on Tuesday, January 20, Wamuchomba alleged that Gachagua deliberately avoided a group of Mt Kenya MPs who had advised him to resign to save his political future, opting instead to secretly negotiate the controversial deal.
According to Wamuchomba, events unfolded on the eve of the Senate hearing on Gachaguaโs impeachment motion, which had already sailed through the National Assembly. She said six MPs spent the night at Gachaguaโs Karen residence, convinced that his chances of surviving the Senate process were slim.
โOn the eve of his impeachment motion in the Senate, we had spent the night at his residence drafting his resignation letter. We had advised him to resign because he would not survive if the motion headed to the Senate,โ Wamuchomba claimed.
She said the lawmakers collectively agreed that Gachagua should resign voluntarily to avoid the humiliation of impeachment and protect his long-term political career.
โWe were six MPs who advised him. We held a meeting at his home and agreed that he would resign. He told us to draft the resignation letter for him. We wrote, edited, handed over to him and acknowledged that the letter was okay,โ she said.The plan, Wamuchomba added, was for Gachagua to skip the Senate session and instead address the nation through a press conference announcing his resignation.
โWe agreed that instead of going to the Senate for his impeachment motion, we would call a press conference and announce his resignation, so that his future political career would not be ruined,โ she said.
Wamuchomba narrated that the plan began to unravel the following morning under unusual circumstances. As the group prepared to attend parliamentary duties and later the planned press briefing, Gachagua allegedly excused himself abruptly.
โWhen we were having breakfast the following day so that we could attend our parliamentary duties, and the presser on Gachaguaโs resignation, he left us abruptly for a morning โwalkโ,โ she said.
She claimed Gachagua left the house dressed in a tracksuit, assuring them he would be back shortly.
โHe wore a track suit and told us that he has gone for a (morning) walk. He returned, took a shower and we all left afterwards to attend to our parliamentary duties,โ Wamuchomba added.
However, events took a dramatic turn later that afternoon when news broke that Gachagua had been rushed to Karen Hospital.
โIn the afternoon, we were shocked to hear that Gachagua had been rushed to Karen hospitalโฆ sick!โ she said.
When the MPs rushed to the hospital, they were allegedly denied access to the former Deputy President.
โWhen we arrived at the hospital, we were denied permission to see him. We met his wife, Pastor Dorcas, his children and relatives,โ Wamuchomba claimed.
The delegation included Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, MPs Ngunjiri Wambugu, Catherine Waruguru, Kimani Ngunjiri, and Wamuchomba herself.
โWe were told that he was critically ill. We burst into tears because we did not know where and the extent of his ailment. I greatly regret weeping because it was all in vain,โ she said.
Wamuchomba now alleges that the reported illness was a cover for high-level negotiations aimed at securing Gachaguaโs resignation.
โI came to learn that the morning โwalkโ he had that day was simply a ploy, as he had gone to negotiate how he would be paid Sh1.8 billion to resign,โ she claimed.According to Wamuchomba, Gachagua allegedly went to a safe house to meet individuals negotiating on behalf of President Ruto.
โThey negotiated and he was given an offer of Sh1.8 billion,โ she said, adding that Gachagua did not immediately accept the deal.She further claimed that Gachagua requested time to consult his wife, Pastor Dorcas, who reportedly advised him to push for more.
โHe rejected the offer. He requested for more time to consult with his wife. His wife told him to demand Sh5 billion, as Sh1.8 billion was a small amount,โ Wamuchomba alleged.
She said Gachagua was reportedly given until the Senate impeachment vote to decide whether to accept the offer, adding that the information was relayed to them by individuals involved in the negotiation process.
Gachagua and State House have not publicly responded to the claims, which are likely to deepen political tensions and reignite debate over the circumstances surrounding his impeachment.
