News of the removal of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from President William Ruto’s WhatsApp diary group has sparked tension within the top ranks of the government, prompting an official explanation from authorities.
Mr Gachagua, in an interview with Citizen TV on Friday night, said his removal from the group makes it hard for him to attend key presidential events since he is always not informed.
“I always align my diary to the President’s,” Mr Gachagua explained, saying that the group was a critical tool in keeping him updated on the President’s schedule.
An angry Deputy President blamed lack of information and never his negligence for failure to attend important events.
“Sometimes if I’m not aware, I’m unable to align because I also have my programme,” Mr Gachagua added, stressing that he always attends events he is informed about.
But in a surprising twist, Dennis Itumbi, Head of Creative Economy and Special Projects in the Office of the President, countered Gachagua’s claims by shedding light on the WhatsApp group’s deletion.
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According to Itumbi, President Ruto himself had been removed from the group before Gachagua, and the group was permanently deleted due to concerns over highly sensitive documents being leaked.
“Yes, the Diary group was deleted. What [Mr Gachagua] fails to mention is that the President was removed even before him,” Mr Itumbi clarified in his response.
This explanation came even as Mr Gachagua hinted at some internal mischief, insinuating that this demotion was part of a wider effort by some individuals to create friction between him and the President.
“Sometimes they want me to get late so that it appears disrespectful,” the Deputy President said, pointing at possible attempts to damage his reputation.
Nevertheless, Mr Gachagua said he was certain that the issue would be sorted out personally between him and President Ruto, and that coordination between the two offices was key to ensuring that smooth governance took place.
“It is only right and fair that I have access to the Presidential Diary so that I align my diary with his diary because he is the boss,” he maintained.
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