What Ruto Asked Gachagua’s Doctor During Senate Impeachment Drama
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua walked back into the Milimani Law Courts on Thursday, May 7, as judges resumed hearing his petition challenging the impeachment that stripped him of office.
Before a three-judge bench comprising Justices Erick Ogolla, Anthony Mrima, and Freda Mugambi, the court heard a striking revelation that President William Ruto personally called Dr. Daniel Gikonyo on October 17, 2024, at a moment when the doctor was attending to Gachagua at Karen Hospital.
Gachagua had fallen suspiciously ill and was rushed to the hospital after developing severe chest pains, all while the Senate was conducting impeachment proceedings against him that very same day, with lawmakers weighing charges of divisive politics, misconduct, abuse of office, and constitutional violations.
In a sworn affidavit tendered before the court, Dr. Gikonyo recounted the moment the president reached out.
“On October 17, 2024, while the first petitioner was under my care, I received a telephone call from the President of the Republic of Kenya, HE William Ruto, who inquired as to the first petitioner’s condition, and I confirmed that the first petitioner had indeed been admitted to Karen Hospital, Nairobi, and was receiving treatment under my care,” he stated.
Gachagua, who was 59 at the time, arrived at the facility around 3pm on October 17, 2024, presenting symptoms that Dr. Gikonyo described as consistent with potential cardiac events. The medical team treated him for severe retrosternal chest pain, stabilized his condition, and discharged him on October 20, 2024, with oral medication and instructions for follow-up care.
“I personally supervised and monitored the first petitioner during his admission to October 20, 2024, upon which he was discharged,” Dr. Gikonyo told the court.
That same night, the Senate voted to uphold five of the 11 charges against Gachagua, sealing his removal from office on the very day his doctors were fighting to stabilize his heart condition.
Gachagua moved to court to contest the impeachment, and the case now consolidates seven files brought by 41 petitioners, including the former deputy president himself.
President Ruto features as one of 16 respondents in the matter, placing him squarely at the center of a case in which his former deputy is fighting to clear his name against accusations that include insubordination. The petitioners contend that the impeachment process was rushed and denied Gachagua a meaningful opportunity to defend himself.
Dr. Gikonyo’s affidavit forms a key pillar of the evidence Gachagua has placed before the court. The specialist cardiologist and Karen Hospital founder told the court that he has treated Gachagua since 2006 and that he carried out comprehensive clinical assessments during the admission, including physical examinations, diagnostic investigations, and other relevant cardiological evaluations aimed at identifying the root cause of his condition.
“Based on my professional expertise, such symptoms are clinically consistent with potential cardiac events, particularly in individuals aged 45 years and above, and may be associated with underlying conditions including, but not limited to, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, elevated stress levels, and obesity, all of which may predispose a patient to cardiac complications,” Dr. Gikonyo told the court.
Gachagua has since recalibrated his legal approach, dropping his bid for reinstatement and instead turning his focus to seeking compensation of more than Sh80 million.
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