National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah has addressed the choice made by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to use a commercial Kenya Airways (KQ) flight for his trip to Mombasa.
Ichung’wah made the remarks while downplaying allegations that the Office of the Deputy President is being sidelined and that it is not being provided with enough resources.
In his defense, the National Assembly majority leader claimed that the Office of the DP has adequate resources allocated for all travels and that Gachagua is adequately provided for with whatever funds he requires regardless of any means that he opts to use.
The Kikuyu Member of Parliament (MP) made the remarks during a parliament session on June 12, 2024, describing the choice by Gachagua to use a KQ Flight in his travel to Mombasa as “nothing unusual”.
Ichung’wah was responding to matters raised by a section of other Member of Parliaments who questioned the allocation of funds and resources including security personnel to Gachagua’s office.
They had questioned the DP’s security and his decision to carry his own luggage while boarding the commercial flight on June 11, 2024.
However, the lawmaker pointed out that Rigathi was not short-staffed and that he had several bodyguards accompanying him who could have helped him carry his luggage.
“On matters touching on security, the Deputy President was also very well secured yesterday, and I can confirm that to the country. He had with him not less than 19 bodyguards 14 of whom he was to travel with on that aircraft therefore he had no problem of people to carry his bags,” he said.
Ichung’wah Compares Gachagua to Ruto
The Kikuyu lawmaker further said that the DP opting to use a commercial flight was a normal thing as even President William Ruto did the same back when he was DP.
“Confirming that there are adequate resources including resources for air travel both for fixed aircrafts and for helicopters, it is not unusual for the Deputy President to travel with our national courier Kenya Airways.
“I have witnessed other holders of that office; our current President William Ruto use not just Kenya Airways. When he was DP, William Ruto travelled just not on Kenya Airways but used Jambo Jet to Mombasa, to Eldoret and he has used Skyward, Renegade and even Safarilink to the Maasai Mara,” said Ichung’wah.
Also Read: Mixed Reactions as Gachagua Boards a Commercial Flight
The Kikuyu MP further highlighted that President Ruto himself travelled using a commercial airliner in his recent trip to South Korea to and from, saying that the only difference is that the President did not post any photo anywhere.
Ichung’wah’s remarks were made after photos of DP Gachagua flying to Mombasa using the national carrier went viral.
A section of leaders including the Kikuyu lawmaker indirectly reacted to the choice by Gachagua, with Ichung’wah alluding that the move by Gachagua and his retreat to the Mt Kenya region was a way to blackmail President William Ruto.
“Neither President William Ruto nor the Government of Kenya or MPs will succumb to blackmail. No amount of sympathy-seeking photos, vernacular station campaigns, or social media blogging troops will hand over billions to satisfy anyone,” he stated.
Gachagua Hits Back Over Village Remarks
There has been tension among leaders in the ruling Kenya Kwanza government particularly between DP Gachagua and MP Ichung’wah who has been a critic of the DP’s one man one vote one shilling revenue sharing formula.
Also Read: Moses Kuria Praises Gachagua Amid Fallout with Ruto
Gachagua earlier on Wednesday hit back at remarks made by the National Assembly Majority leader which suggested that leadership does not require village indulgence.
DP Gachagua defended himself for addressing Mt. Kenya residents in his native Kikuyu language while in Mombasa during the opening of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya International Scientific Conference.
Gachagua in his speech questioned why someone would criticize him for being a villager, calling on for people to embrace their background.
The DP further questioned the necessity of speaking in English or Kiswahili to his villagers when they all share the same mother tongue.
“I do not know why anybody would have a problem with where we all come from. I am talking in English here because some of you may not understand my language and I will talk Kiswahili when I go to where people cannot understand. But if I go to the village what business do, I have talking to people of the village in English and I am not a white person?” posed Gachagua.
Gachagua on Embracing Roots
The second in command emphasized that he only speaks in English or Kiswahili in areas where the Kikuyu language is not understood.
According to Gachagua, speaking in other languages other than your native while addressing people from your region is presumed as arrogance or pride.
At the same time, the DP revealed that after the conference he would fly to Nairobi for a short period of time before retreating to his village.
He made the revelation while calling upon leaders to acknowledge their roots
He added that Kenyans should be proud of their origin and identity, while also telling leaders who are branding other politicians as villagers to stop the disrespect.
MP Ichung’wah had on June 6, remarked that it was impossible to build a kingdom with someone who still craved attention from his village.
However, the second in command has insisted that he would not be cowed into not speaking in his native Kikuyu language when he visits his village in Nyeri County adding that using vernacular was a way of showing respect to your origin.
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