Former Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Moses Kuria has criticized the impeachment of former Deputy President and Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua, describing it as both untimely and unnecessary.
Speaking during a morning interview on a local television station on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Kuria said the move to impeach Gachagua came at a time when it could have been avoided. He maintained that despite the political fallout between President William Ruto and his then deputy, he personally opposed the impeachment motion.
“I was opposed to the impeachment motion and even spoke against it. I tried to convince members of parliament that the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua was not in the best interest. We should have tried to control the damage before it worsened. According to me, the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua was untimely and unnecessary,” Kuria stated.
Kuria further revealed that President Ruto’s dissatisfaction with Gachagua stemmed from a press conference the former deputy president held in Mombasa during the height of the Gen-Z protests. The briefing reportedly coincided with the president’s national address, a move that angered the head of state.
According to Kuria, he made efforts to rally leaders from the Mount Kenya region and the Rift Valley to reconsider their stance on the impeachment motion, but his attempts were unsuccessful.
Gachagua’s impeachment was finalized after 54 senators voted in favor of the first charge, while 13 opposed it. The first ground of the special motion accused the former deputy president of gross violation of the Constitution, sealing his fate in one of the most dramatic political episodes in recent Kenyan history.
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