National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has lifted the lid on his long running fallout with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, linking it to a fierce standoff over a controversial Sh300 million request.
Speaking in an interview on Citizen Digital, Ichung’wah said the fallout began during a tense meeting at the Deputy President’s official residence in Karen, where he had gone not to seek favours but to confront what he described as a pattern of threats and intimidation directed at both the President and Members of Parliament.
According to Ichung’wah, he faced Gachagua directly and made his position clear.
“You know me. Even President Uhuru Kenyatta could not intimidate me into supporting what I do not believe is right. If you are intimidating MPs, I will be the last person you will ever intimidate.”The majority leader said.
He said the confrontation was not a one off, revealing that he later challenged Gachagua again after a political rally in Nanyuki where similar tactics, including calling people ‘tukunia’ (sellouts), were allegedly used.
“Leadership is about building relationships, not issuing threats. Do not blackmail or threaten anyone, not even the President.”
At the centre of the dispute, Ichung’wah claimed, was a request by Gachagua to help push through additional confidential expenditure to raise the Deputy President’s budget from about Sh700 million to Sh1 billion using Article 223 of the Constitution.
Ichung’wah said he flatly refused.
“I told him clearly, I will not allow Parliament to be used to push through that kind of expenditure. It was simply wrong.”
Drawing from his time as Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, he said he had previously led efforts to curb misuse of Article 223 and would not turn around to approve what he considers abuse of public funds.
“Our numbers in Parliament are not there to be abused. A majority is not a licence to do what is not right.”
He argued there was no justification for the request, noting that only a few months remained in the financial year and the Deputy President’s office already had sufficient allocation to operate.
Ichung’wah went further, suggesting the push for additional funds was driven by personal financial pressure rather than public need.
“The desperation I saw was not about serving the public. It was about servicing private obligations.”
The Majority Leader maintained that public office should never be used to solve personal problems, insisting that his role is to protect taxpayers and uphold the Constitution.
“Public money must serve the people, not settle private debts or political loyalty.”
