Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has fired two of his top aides, raising more questions about growing tensions in the Kenyan government. On Tuesday, August 20, Gachagua dismissed Martha Miano, the Deputy Director of Public Communications, and Francis Ngotho Maina, his Personal Assistant. According to their termination letters, they will leave by October 20.
Officially, they were let go for incompetence, but some insiders suggest the real reason might be their loyalty to President William Ruto. This situation has led to more speculation about a possible rift between Gachagua and Ruto.
These firings come shortly after rumors of spying within Gachagua’s office started spreading, making the situation even more complicated.
Both aides received letters citing the Local Agreement Form, which allows the government to terminate employment with two months’ notice or two months’ pay. They will receive their full pay and a service gratuity until October 19.
This move follows recent tensions within the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the ruling party. Earlier this month, Gachagua’s ally, Cleophas Malala, was removed from his position, which he believes is part of a plan to impeach Gachagua.
Additionally, three of Gachagua’s close associates are under investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for allegedly funding anti-government protests, which resulted in the deaths of at least 61 people. This has further strained Gachagua’s relationship with President Ruto.
In a recent interview, Gachagua claimed that one of his aides, Patrick Gikonyo, was nearly assassinated in July when a gunman fired at his car. Gikonyo, who once worked as Nairobi’s head of intelligence, is one of 13 operatives Gachagua says were moved from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) under controversial circumstances. Gachagua accused the NIS of working against him and said he informed President Ruto about how state security agencies were allegedly being used to target him politically.
By Kenyans