×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Home To Bold Columnists
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download Now

Gachagua's gamble and curse of deputy president

Vocalize Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Vocalize

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at Peace and Mercy Church of Africa (PMCA), Kaplel Artet ward, Sigowet-Soin Constituency, Kericho County. [DPCS]

On April 15, 1794 US Vice President John Adams in a letter to his wife Abigail described the vice presidency as "the most insignificant office the invention of man contrived, or his imagination conceived." Adams would later become US second President after George Washington.

And even though a lot has been done to bolster the office described as a breath away from ultimate power, including naming it Deputy President, as opposed to vice, and having the laws provide a joint ticket as is the case in the US and Kenya, any holder of that office ignores Adams' words at their own peril.

Premium Article

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Fact-first reporting that puts you at the heart of the newsroom. Subscribe for full access.
Continue Reading  →
What you get
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimised reading
  • Weekly newsletters & digests
Pay via
M - PESA
VISA
Airtel Money
Secure Payments Kenya's most trusted newsroom since 1902
Sports
It's fresh faces and familiar rivals as Stars prepare for 2027 Afcon
Football
SportPesa Premier League: APS Bomet edge Bandari to ease relegation fears
Rugby
Experienced Okello, Chajira named in Kenya Lionesses squad for Rugby Africa Cup
Football
McCarthy set for emotional South Africa reunion after AFCON Draw