DP Gachagua: Raila’s planned demonstrations are just a ploy towards handshake with Ruto

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has scoffed at Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga over his planned nationwide demonstrations due to various issues against President William Ruto’s administration.

Starting Wednesday, December 7, Odinga has pledged to “bring down President Ruto’s system” in the countrywide public rallies which are set to kick off at the Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi.

“On the 7th of December, at the historic Kamukunji grounds here in Nairobi, we will launch public consultations with the people of Kenya to brainstorm on the direction the country is taking,” Odinga said on Friday after meeting Azimio leaders from Nairobi County.

DP Gachagua has however trashed the demonstrations as a mere ploy by the opposition leader to seek audience with President Ruto towards a possible agreement similar to the March 2018 ‘Handshake’ between him and former president Uhuru Kenyatta.

“Last time, he staged similar protests until he got himself into President Kenyatta and William Ruto’s government. Uhuru bought into his threats and let him into his handshake government and he wrecked it,” Gachagua said on Sunday.

Speaking during an inter-denominational Sunday service at Embu University, the DP maintained that the Kenya Kwanza government will not get into any agreement with the opposition chief.

“He can stick to opposition. Let the old man hear it from me, here at the slopes of Mout Kenya, there will be no handshake. The only handshake President Ruto is interested in is with hustlers for the Hustler Fund,” said Gachagua.

While describing the 2018 Handshake as “a bad experiment” and “the worst thing that has ever happened in the history of Kenya for 60 years,” the DP faulted it for stalled projects and run-down economy he said they inherited from Mr. Kenyatta.

 “All these road and dam projects have stalled and it is because of him, he held the president hostage… All the economic mess we are having today is as a result of that handshake,” he said.

 “Now that we have defeated him, he has again started the language of demonstrations and his goal is still the same; scare the president and be invited for a handshake. We do not want him in our government. He can protest all day but there will be no handshake,” added Gachagua.

Odinga’s demos stem from the ongoing probe of four Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners by Parliament.

The four; Juliana Cherera, Irene Masit, Francis Wanderi and Justus Nyang’aya are being grilled after petitions were filed challenging their suitability to hold office, following their disowning of the August 9 Election presidential results.

“We will return to the Kamukunji grounds on 12th December to continue with these consultations on the state of the Kenyan nation and also to have a prayer for democracy in our country which is right now under threat by this administration,” Odinga said on Friday.

He also accuses President Ruto of a ploy to rig the 2027 elections following suspension of the four, as well as what he terms as skewed public appointments.

Sources close to Jubilee and KANU have told Citizen Digital that the two parties are not part of the rallies.

They said although they are still in the Azimio coalition, they will not participate in the demonstrations, without giving further details.