Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has demanded a retraction and apology from the Nation Media Group over reports that he is seeking to acquire a new political party amid an alleged fallout with President William Ruto.
In a letter, Gachagua’s office described the articles published on May 29th as “one-sided, false and concocted,” accusing the Nation of undermining his role as the deputy party leader of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
The Daily Nation had reported on May 29th that Gachagua was in talks with officials from The New Democrats (TND) party as he explored options away from Ruto’s UDA amid escalating tensions between the two leaders. The reports cited sources close to Gachagua and claimed he had approached political players, including a former top official in former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration, for potential deals.
In her letter, Njeri Rugene, the Head of the Deputy Presidential Communication Service, condemned the articles as “laced with innuendos and malice” and deliberately intended to “disparage and attack the integrity” of Gachagua. She stated that associating the Deputy President with another party, “especially one with questionable association,” could only have been done in bad faith.
“The article also clearly violates the tenets of professional journalism that demand objectivity, balance and fairness,” Rugene wrote, demanding a retraction and an apology with “the same prominence” as the original articles.
The Nation’s reports had cited TND Secretary-General David Musembi, who confirmed talks with Gachagua’s allies but said “there is nothing tangible to speak about at the moment.” The Registrar of Parties, Anne Nderitu, also acknowledged that TND had made applications to change its list of officials.
Lending credence to the reports, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, a close Gachagua ally, warned in an interview with the Nation that Ruto risks losing support in the Mt. Kenya region if he continues allowing attacks against the Deputy President and potentially tries to sideline him.
The alleged rift between Ruto and Gachagua has sparked concerns about the stability of the ruling coalition, with Gachagua accusing some of Ruto’s allies in the Rift Valley of undermining him and meddling in Mt. Kenya politics.
