Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has warned state agencies against correcting Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in public.
In a post on social media, Cherargei termed the practice of correcting the Deputy President as "bad manners and insubordination towards the presidency".
"Kenya Kwanza manifesto of revamping KQ (Kenya Airways) highlighted leadership problems and high operational costs the government should do an institutional audit of KQ without Chair Michael Joseph and his team, Dp Gachagua was right state capture is real. State agencies stop correcting Dp in public. From central bank of Kenya, Director of Criminal Investigation to now KQ," Cherargei wrote.
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This follows a series of events where several state agencies have been forced to issue public statements after the second in command issued media briefs that seemed to paint them in bad light.
Gachagua vs CBK
On October 2, 2022, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) flagged Gachagua's comments about the adequacy of CBK’s foreign exchange cover.
In an interview with a local TV station on Sunday, October 2, 2022, Gachagua claimed that the CBK did not have enough Foreign Exchange reserves even to import oil, blaming it on "state capture".
“Tumekosa maneno ya Foreign Exchange hata jana pale katika benki kuu hakukuwa na zile pesa za kigeni za kutosha kuagiza mafuta kutoka nchi za nje. Wengine walidhani nimekosa nidhamu kusema manenyo yale mbele ya wageni, ni kweli tulijua kweli uchumi ni mbaya, lakini hatukujua kwa kiasi gani," Gachagua said.
“Why there was a forex problem is because of state capture. There was a lot of interest in banks where very senior people in government own certain banks and they got involved in this forex business,” he added.
However, according to CBK, the government has enough reserves to last over four months, although they are not meant for non-government entities.
"Following the complete liberalization of the foreign exchange market in the 1990’s, all foreign exchange for private transactions is obtained from commercial banks. CBK does not supply foreign exchange for transactions other than for the National Government (i.e., government’s own imports or debt service payments) or CBK’s operations. Oil importers, therefore, obtain their requisite foreign exchange from the commercial banks and not CBK," CBK said in a statement.
Gachagua vs KQ
Gachagua also linked Kenya Airways' (KQ) streak of loss-making to bad contracts that they had allegedly entered into to benefit a few individuals in what he termed as State capture.
“We have had discussions with Kenya Airways and they have the highest fares on the continent and their planes are always full but they make losses. We are trying to deal with that State capture so that we can bring down the cost of the operations of the airline so that they can make profits,” he stated.
However, in response, KQ chairman Michael Joseph said that contracts entered by the national carrier are purely commercial business arrangements meant to benefit the airline.
"Kenya Airways would like to clarify and correct comments that have recently appeared in the media regarding its aircraft leasing arrangements. Leasing contracts for aircraft are purely commercial business arrangements entered into by airlines and lessors worldwide. Lessors contracted to KQ for leasing of aircraft and engines are all renowned international companies that manage hundreds of aircraft leased to different international airlines across the world," said Joseph.
Gachagua vs DCI
Mid last month, Gachagua told the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to leave government offices and wait for crimes to be reported.
"We have told DCI to go back to Kiambu Road and wait for crimes to be reported there. They have no business in government offices hovering all over and creating a toxic environment for Service delivery. We cannot have detectives in government offices because they poison the atmosphere for civil servants to deliver," he said.
A local daily later reported that Massa Hamisi Salim, the acting DCI boss, had reprimanded DP Gachagua for his salvo of attack on DCI.
However, DCI denied the claims, terming the publication as false and inaccurate.
"We clarify that the purported sentiments referring to the DP were not obtained from the Ag Director, neither are they his position," DCI said in a statement.
