COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli has called for the arrest of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for publicly opposing President William Ruto’s government agenda.
Atwoli said that had it been during the KANU era, Gachagua would have been arrested already for contradicting the president.
"He must be arrested. If it were our KANU government, we would have arrested him in the morning. You can't contradict government policies, contradict your own president, contradict everything," said Atwoli.Further, the trade unionist called for a re-evaluation of the deputy president position, saying it should remain an appointee of the president rather than as a running mate.
As it is, and in the case of Gachagua, Atwoli said there is a perception of shared authority and some entitlement that the officeholders feel they are equal to the president.
"I said earlier on that the position of deputy president must remain of appointment, being appointed by the president. The deputy president should be an appointee of the president, not a running mate. Because when he becomes a running mate, he thinks he's also a president," Atwoli added.