Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has praised the Martha Koome-led Judiciary for vindicating him following the recent ruling on slum evictions.
Speaking at a church service in Kahawa West where he was accompanied by loyal allies, Gachagua revealed that the recent ruling ordering President William Ruto’s government to compensate victims of forceful evictions in various slums of Nairobi among them Mathare, Gwa Kairu, Mukuru Kwa Ruben, and Kiamaiko slums due to the threat of flooding has vindicated him.
“I saw the courts ruled those people whose houses were demolished to be paid which means I was vindicated and won,” he stated.
Gachagua explained one of the charges leveled against him during his impeachment motion was that he opposed the government’s demolition of people’s houses without fair compensation which he pleaded guilty to during his trial.
“I was happy with the courts because they ruled the government to compensate victims of evictions and demolitions,” he averred.
When assigned to lead the demolitions, Gachagua refused, stating that it conflicted with the promises he and Ruto made to the people during the 2022 campaigns.
“President William Ruto and I told people that there will be no day their houses will be demolished without finding a place for them,” he said emphasising that there was no way he would renege on his words.
“How would I go and lead the demolitions when I was the one who said we will not demolish their houses?” he wondered emphasizing it would amount to betrayal to the citizens of the country.
