Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa has taken a dig at Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, claiming that he landed the opportunity to deputize President William Ruto by chance after losing to Kindiki Kithure.
Opening up on the intrigues behind Ruto’s search for a running mate, Barasa claimed that Gachagua who was then serving as a first-term MP for Mathira only secured a single vote, with Kithure sweeping the remaining ones.
With this, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki was the clear choice, but missed out on the opportunity that was eventually handed to Gachagua.
Barasa who was speaking in Sirisia, Bungoma county added that Moun Kenya leaders were given an opportunity to decide who among them would deputize Ruto and the result only affirmed what according to him, had been known to many.
He revealed that Ruto overturned the verdict and handed the position to Gachagua defying the vote and convincing the leaders to back Gachagua for the role.
Barasa failed to disclose reasons behind Ruto’s decision to overturn the verdict and proceed with Gachagua.
The MP noted that he regrets his decision to back Gachagua who has now emerged as a champion of one man-one vote-one shilling revenue sharing formula, much to the chagrin of Ruto’s allies.
"I have seen how talks are going on, and I am not impressed by the deputy president. "Respectfully, I have had the privilege of being with the president since 2017 to date I want to remind Gachagua that when we were looking for Ruto's running mate, I was among the leaders who asked Mt Kenya leaders to lock themselves somewhere and decide who to deputise Ruto.
“They decided, and Gachagua got only one vote, but we convinced the leaders to back Gachagua, and Ruto defied the vote that Kindiki had won," said Barasa.
DP Gachagua's political battles in Mount Kenya
The revelation appears to suggest that right from the onset, Gachagua lacked the backing of Mount Kenya politicians.
The remarks also come at a time when Gachagua is keen on galvanizing support across the region and emerging as a champion of the Mount Kenya development agenda, with a clear message to voters in the region to mark those not supportive of the agenda.