Gachagua Approved The Controversial Finance Bill 2024 Before Ruto – Ichung’wah
The growing criticism of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has reached a fever pitch, with allegations that he was deeply involved in the contentious Finance Bill 2024 before it reached Cabinet.
The revelation has exacerbated the fallout, with Gachagua’s role becoming a flashpoint in the escalating political crisis.
The isolation of Deputy President Gachagua following the Finance Bill disaster has been stark.
The backlash against him has been exacerbated by his insensitive remarks about the deaths caused by the anti-finance bill protests, claiming they were “available.”
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria and Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah have both pointed fingers at Gachagua, claiming that he reviewed the contentious proposals even before President William Ruto had a chance to see them.
The Chair of Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) which decides on money sharing with Counties talks about One Man One Vote One Shilling in funerals. He is also the coordinator of Constitutional Commission and Independent Offices among them Commission for Revenue…
— CS Moses Kuria (@HonMoses_Kuria) June 27, 2024
Their accusations paint Gachagua as a key player in the bill’s progression, rather than a victim.
President Ruto has received the brunt of the public’s ire, with protesters calling for his resignation.
However, in a fiery interview with Inooro TV, Ichung’wah did not mince words in criticizing Gachagua.
The Deputy President, who had previously escaped the full wrath of the protests, is now squarely in the crosshairs.
“DP Gachagua is in government, he chairs the Cabinet sub-committees, so he is the one that chaired the first meeting that considered the 2024 Finance Bill,” Ichung’wah declared, leaving no room for ambiguity about Gachagua’s involvement.
Moses Kuria took to social media to criticize Gachagua for his leadership role in several critical government councils and committees, including the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC).
“He is in the National Security Council yet complains about the Director of the National Intelligence Service. It was enough to have a President who is a teetotaller,” Kuria added, indicating the level of dysfunction he perceives within the government.
As protests continue, Kimani Ichung’wah, a former staunch supporter of the Finance Bill, has changed his tone dramatically.
After huge pressure from his constituency, he admitted, “Us as a government have failed to communicate with our children and their parents, farmers and the people whom we lead about the things we are doing for them.”
He remained defiant in the face of accusations that Parliament is subservient to the executive.
Ichung’wah pushed back, “If leaders were not listening, this Bill would have gone through with the taxes on bread. It would have gone through with the taxes on vehicles. But since we heard the calls of Kenyans like we always do and removed those sections of the bill.”
The internal schism in President William Ruto’s party has grown, with leaders and politicians openly expressing their displeasure with Gachagua’s recent criticisms of National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Noordin Haji.
Gachagua has accused Haji of failing to provide critical insights into public sentiment, particularly regarding the Finance Bill.
The fallout from the Finance Bill 2024 continues to roil Kenya’s political scene, with Deputy President Gachagua at the center of the controversy.
As the schism within the ruling party widens, the future for both Gachagua and Ruto remains uncertain, with plans to recall MPs who voted in favor of the Finance Bill.
Gachagua Approved The Controversial Finance Bill 2024 Before Ruto – Ichung’wah
