Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Machiavellian plan to overthrow Governor Johnson Sakaja from City Hall has been revealed.
Gachagua is reportedly leveraging his political power to mobilize MCAs from the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Jubilee to dismantle Sakaja’s authority.
This blog understands that County Assembly Majority Leader Anthony Kiragu met the Deputy President hours before he accused Sakaja of sponsoring the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition rally at Kamukunji on January 23 2023.
Kiragu claimed the governor not only provided the venue for the meeting but also gave his cash donation.
He claimed the governor facilitated the planning of the Azimio meeting and donated Charter Hall on Sunday afternoon where groups met during the day to strategise, mobilise and fundraise for the event.
Kiragu further said the money used to plan the event was collected at Sakaja’s private office in Riverside.
Gachagua’s offensive against Sakaja serves a dual purpose.
Firstly, it aims to pave the way for a Kikuyu candidate to take over as governor, as Sakaja’s deputy is a former Nyandarua gubernatorial aspirant, James Muchiri.
Secondly, Gachagua hopes to reduce the influence of Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi, his greatest threat in the 2027 running mate slot, in Nairobi and the ruling coalition.
Sakaja’s policy pronouncements banning nightclubs in residential areas and restricting public service vehicles’ entry to the central business district have sparked a fight against him by Gachagua and top Mt Kenya leaders.
They have admonished him for allegedly persecuting business people from Mt Kenya.
Speaking at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology last month, Gachagua lashed out at Sakaja for making decisions that hurt Mt Kenya people despite their huge contribution to the city.
Gachagua’s ally, Nyeri senator Wahome Wamatinga also rekindled Sakaja’s university degree controversy, threatening to lobby Mt Kenya leaders into initiating a process to have him impeached.
The senator warned Sakaja of the repercussions of picking a fight with the deputy president regarding the management of the country’s capital.
In the county assembly, ward reps elected under UDA are faulting Sakaja for being a lone ranger and favouring Azimio allies.
They accuse him of picking some nominees who had supported Raila Odinga in the elections.
The Azimio coalition is the majority at the assembly, with 67 MCAs while Kenya Kwanza has 53 MCAs.
Three MCAs were elected as independents.
But Sakaja maintains that he will work with Azimio, noting the city is cosmopolitan and does not belong to one community.
He has also rubbished claims of hurting Kikuyu businesses, arguing restoring law and order will benefit all Nairobians.
