Deputy President (DP) Rigathi Gachagua has explained why he missed a church service at AIPCA Central Western Archdiocese in Nyeri County on September 15, 2024, which was attended by President William Ruto.
DP Gachagua’s official seat next to the Head of State remained unoccupied throughout the entire church service in Nyeri.
In an interview with Citizen TV, on Friday September 20, Gachagua revealed that there were two events scheduled for the same day, one in Kirinyaga County and the other in Nyeri County, both of which President Ruto was expected to attend.
“People talk from ignorance. There were two functions that the President was expected to attend, one in Kirinyaga & the other one in Nyeri and they were in his diary, and I aligned my diary with the President’s diary,” he said.
DP Explains Why He Skipped Ruto’ Enent
Gachagua said that he attended the church service at Baricho Catholic Parish in Kirinyaga County, where he was present to receive President William Ruto who was the chief guest at the event.
However, the DP later learned that Ruto was attending a different event in Nairobi, which led to the change in plans.
“I was in Kirinyaga to receive him, and while I was there, I was informed that he had changed, and he would attend an event in Nairobi,” said Gachagua.
“So, I purposed to attend the one in Kirinyaga and join him in Nyeri later.”
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Gachagua explained that the function he attended was at a Catholic church, where the mass lasted two hours and could not be interrupted, requiring him to sit through the entire service.
At the same time, the DP mentioned that before the mass concluded, he was informed that President Ruto had already arrived in Nyeri.
However, he was unable to fly to the event in Nyeri at that point, as he anticipated that by the time he arrived, the President would already be leaving.
“By the time the mass was over, the President was already in Nyeri so I could not leave the mass halfway and go to Nyeri,” he added.
“So, I decided that if the President is already in Nyeri and even if I left Kirinyaga and fly to the venue I would find he is leaving so it would not make sense. I decided to remain in Kirinyaga & represent him.”
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Gachagua on Empty Seat
Gachagua went on to allege that some people in Nyeri who work around the President put an empty chair knowing very well that he was another attending function and took photograph just to paint him bad.
“I think some mischievous people in Nyeri who work around the President put an empty chair knowing very well that I am in another function and took photographs just for mischief,” the DP said.
“My protocol people said I was in Kirinyaga, and it was unnecessary to put the chair there that is empty, and everyone knew that I was in another event they could have removed it.”
Gachagua went on to refute claims that he had received intelligence suggesting that some individuals were organized to heckle him if he attended the event in Nyeri.
“Your intel is wrong. Nyeri is my home. Even if there was anything in Nyeri, how can I not go to my home. No one can heckle me in Nyeri and the Mt. Kenya region I attend all functions,” Gachagua said.
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