National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa has finally broken his silence on the true origin of his fallout with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, detailing a high-stakes confrontation over state funds. In a candid revelation, Ichung’wa disclosed that their relationship soured when he flatly rejected a push by Gachagua to bypass constitutional safeguards and access an additional Sh300 million in “confidential expenditure.” This rejection, according to Ichung’wa, triggered a campaign of intimidation and blackmail that has defined their political rivalry ever since.
During a meeting at the Deputy President’s official residence in Karen, Ichung’wa claims Gachagua attempted to persuade him to facilitate a budget increase that would have pushed his office’s confidential spending from Sh700 million to a staggering Sh1 billion. The funds were allegedly to be accessed through Article 223 of the Constitution—a provision intended for emergency government spending. Ichung’wa, who previously chaired the Budget and Appropriations Committee, stated that he reminded the then-DP that he was the very author of the “embargo” on such expenditures, making it impossible and “wrong” for him to sanction the move.
The confrontation reportedly turned personal when Ichung’wa challenged Gachagua’s alleged tactics of threatening and intimidating Mount Kenya leaders. “I told him, ‘Mister Deputy President… you found me as an elected member of Parliament… if you intimidate all these people, know I will be the last person you will intimidate,'” Ichung’wa recalled. He further alleged that Gachagua’s desperation for the funds was tied to a need to “pay off hotels,” hinting at financial pressures that Gachagua was allegedly trying to resolve using the public purse.
By making these receipts public, Ichung’wa has moved the fallout beyond simple political “clout” and into the territory of legal and ethical accountability. He painted a picture of a leader who attempted to “abuse numbers” for personal gain, only to be met with a firm “no” from the leadership of the House. For Gist KE readers, this disclosure provides the most detailed look yet at the behind-the-scenes financial wars that ultimately led to the shifting power dynamics in the Mount Kenya region.
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