‘They would do it again’ – Wahome Thuku warns Gachagua about MPs who impeached him

Wahome Thuku, a political commentator, has refuted assertions that financial inducements swayed Members of Parliament to endorse the 2024 impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. In a Facebook post on August 16, 2026, Thuku contended that the majority of lawmakers who voted in favor of impeachment would have done so regardless of any monetary compensation.

He stated, "No, Riggy G. 100% of the MPs who voted YES to impeach you would still have done it, even without being paid. Actually, the majority of them would still impeach you again if the process was repeated."

The National Assembly overwhelmingly approved Gachagua's impeachment on October 8, 2024, with 282 votes in favor, 44 votes against, and one abstention. The Senate subsequently upheld his removal. Thuku attributed the impeachment primarily to growing political tensions between Gachagua and the government. He asserted that the lawmakers had already decided individually to impeach Gachagua prior to the vote.

Thuku further claimed that President William Ruto had previously intervened to prevent impeachment proceedings from advancing earlier. He noted, "Actually, and you know this for a FACT, William Samoei Ruto had twice stopped them from impeaching you much earlier."

Thuku argued that public dissent against Gachagua's impeachment was not as intense as portrayed by Gachagua and his allies. Instead, he suggested that the frustration in parts of Mt Kenya was directed at Ruto for involving ODM lawmakers in the removal process. Some residents even desired the entire government to resign. Thuku highlighted that the rallying cry "Ruto Must Go" was prevalent even during Gachagua's tenure as Deputy President.

He further predicted that Gachagua's political influence in 2027 would largely depend on his ability to galvanize opposition against Ruto. Thuku challenged Gachagua's supporters to validate his claims by staging a ballot in 2027 with only Gachagua and Ruto as candidates. He stated, "If you or anyone doubts me, just put Riggy G and Ruto as the only two candidates on the ballot in 2027, then we wait for results."