MERU, Kenya – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has intensified his attacks on President William Ruto, accusing him of plotting to remove Chief Justice Martha Koome for refusing to bow to political pressure.
Speaking in Meru on Sunday, Gachagua issued a stern warning to Ruto, cautioning him against interfering with the judiciary.
He claimed that efforts were underway to oust Koome for her perceived independence, vowing that such a move would not go unchallenged.
“She is being fought because she has refused to be a ‘yes sir’ person,” Gachagua said. “If you chase our Martha Koome, don’t set foot in Meru. You chased me, and the Mt. Kenya people were silent—you thought they were cowards.”
In a direct challenge to the president, Gachagua accused Ruto of unfairly targeting women in leadership instead of confronting his political equals.
“You fought with me because I am a man—leave Martha Koome alone, she is a woman. Why are you fighting women? Can you fight your fellow men?” he posed.
The former deputy president also criticized Meru’s political leadership for what he termed as complacency in the face of alleged state interference in the judiciary.
He accused local MPs and senators of turning a blind eye to the situation, allegedly in exchange for political favors.
“Martha Koome is being pushed out, and the senator is silent. All the 10 MPs are silent. What has happened to the people of Meru? These are descendants of the Mau Mau—why is the leadership quiet?” he asked.
Gachagua warned that if Koome is forced out, he would rally Meru residents to protest against what he called an escalating pattern of political suppression against Mt. Kenya leaders.
“If this woman is removed, I will blow the whistle—will you come out to the streets?” he challenged the crowd.
Since his dramatic impeachment in October 2024, Gachagua has become one of Ruto’s fiercest critics, frequently accusing the president of sidelining the Mt. Kenya region and mismanaging the country.
“You have used us like tissue paper,” he lamented. “We elected you, and now you have turned against us. But God will not allow you to destroy this community.”
