Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has consistently attacked Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga because of the handshake he has been claiming Raila is seeking, the Daily Nation reports.
Rather, the paper reports, Gachagua is opposed to one of the issues President William Ruto has raised for discussion by the National Dialogue Committee, formed by the President and Raila.
The paper has established that Gachagua might be fighting the talks hoping that their collapse will lead to the collapse of the proposals, mostly that one on entrenching the Prime Cabinet Secretary in the law.
It says that at the moment, Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi is just like any other Cabinet Secretary, and making his position constitutional will make him bigger, something Gachagua fears.
“There is high possibility that Gachagua’s strident opposition to dialogue with Raila is not so much about rejecting the alleged quest for a handshake or power sharing agreement but uneasiness over the proposal tabled by Ruto for Mudavadi’s docket to be entrenched in the constitution,” the paper says.
Gachagua reportedly fears that Mudavadi, after the changes, will have specific powers and roles assigned to him constitutionally, making him bigger than himself (Gachagua), who has no specific roles other than being Ruto’s assistant.
“Entrenching the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary in the constitution would bestow on the holder specific powers and functions, and probably elevate the office above that of the Deputy President,” the paper adds.
This, it has established, will make things even harder for Gachagua will regards to succeeding Ruto in 2027, with Mudavadi bigger than him.
In public, Gachagua has been openly fighting the dialogue, and has claimed that it is headed nowhere and will not achieve anything.
