Members of the Nairobi City County Assembly (MCA) drawn from both Kenya Kwanza and Azimio la Umoja coalitions have slammed Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua after the DP snubbed Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja during an event at Uhuru Park, where President William Ruto flagged off Community Health Promoters (CHP) kits yesterday, Monday, September 25.
A section of MCAs have demanded that Gachagua issues an apology to Sakaja noting that the Deputy President exhibited a show of disrespect by snubbing the Governor.
“We demand that Gachagua respects Nairobi leaders. He cannot just snub Governor Sakaja at an event in Nairobi where the governor is supposed to be the host. Gachagua should know that he came to Nairobi from the village and Nairobi has elected leaders who deserve respect,” Korogocho MCA Absalom Odhiambo Matach said after the event.
Matach called on the minority leadership in the county assembly to table debate on the conduct of the Deputy President.
A video showing Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua not shaking hands with Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has ignited talks. In the video that has excited a section of Kenyans and political enthusiasts, Gachagua, on arrival at Uhuru Park, did not extend his hand to greet Sakaja. The Nairobi governor was among the dignitaries waiting to welcome the DP and, subsequently, the president. Matching out of his fuel guzzler, Gachagua went on to greet other dignitaries, including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Council of Governors Chairperson Anne Waiguru, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa, and Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha among others. When Rigathi walked back after greeting the dignitaries, Sakaja put his hands behind his back and snubbed the DP in return.
The MCA’s have opined that Gachagua has issues with Sakaja due to the Governor’s success in uniting both Azimio la Umoja and Kenya Kwanza MCA’s in Nairobi despite him being elected on a UDA ticket.
Gachagua, according to MCA’s has been propagating divisive politics and feels threatened by Sakaja’s ability to work with political leaders from across the political divide and if Sakaja gets re-elected for a second term as Nairobi Governor, he could pose a threat to Gachagua’s 2032 Presidential ambitions.
Gachagua picked up fights with Sakaja earlier this year over the planned relocation of long distance public service vehicles to the new Green Park terminus and has been consistently fighting Sakaja with wild allegations of graft leading to investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations at City Hall.
On realization that Gachagua was against the Green Park move, Sakaja shelved the idea based on respect for the office of the Deputy President but Gachagua has time and again continued his bile against the Nairobi Governor dragging along the Nairobi decongestion plan by Sakaja including the hawkers work plan.
Gachagua has been known to propagate divisive politics of ‘us against them’ with the shareholders government narrative which Sakaja has been able to overcome and coined a cordial working relationship with politicians at the county and national level from both sides of the political divide.