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Kenya’s Impeached Deputy President Blasts ‘Vicious’ Boss

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Kenya’s ousted Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Sunday lashed out at his boss William Ruto as “vicious” and cruel, warning that his life could be in danger.

 


FILE: Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua

 

Gachagua was impeached by the Senate on five out of 11 charges levelled against him on Thursday, but a court order put his replacement process on hold.

 

The embattled 59-year-old known as “Riggy G” said his security had been withdrawn and his entire staff sent on compulsory leave.

 

“I am shocked by how vicious a man I helped to be president, believed in and was persecuted when I supported, could be so vicious against me,” he told reporters in the capital Nairobi.

 

He was speaking after being discharged from a hospital in the Nairobi suburb of Karen where he was being treated for severe chest pains.

 

“If anything happens to me or my family, President William Ruto must be held to account,” he said, claiming past attempts at his life through poisoning.

 

Gachagua fell ill on Thursday afternoon barely an hour before he was due to testify in the unprecedented two-day impeachment trial at the Senate.

 

The upper house proceeded to vote on his removal from his office after his lawyers unsuccessfully bid to postpone the session.

 

He was found guilty on charges including threatening judges and using ethnically divisive politics, but cleared of corruption and money-laundering.

 

 ‘Violation of court order’

In the fast-moving political drama, Ruto swiftly nominated Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki to replace Gachagua.

 

But a High Court in the capital suspended the appointment process within minutes of parliament voting overwhelmingly to approve Kindiki, a 52-year-old academic turned political heavyweight.

 

A three-judge bench is due to hear the case on Tuesday.

“The president in total violation of the court order viciously withdrew security around me,” Gachagua said, adding that he was effectively still deputy president.

 

“I don’t understand this level of viciousness to a man who has been your deputy and who helped you become president irrespective of what he has done,” he thundered.

 

“At his lowest moment in life when he is literally struggling to stay alive, you unleash such viciousness against him.”

Ruto has not yet given any public comment on the impeachment.

 

He called on Sunday for the defence of “national values and principles of governance every day” without making direct reference to his deputy who is accused of inciting ethnic divisions.

 

“Let us do our part to promote national cohesion and inclusion and to combat division, tribalism and exclusion,” Ruto said at an event to mark Mashujaa Day, a public holiday to honour those who contributed to the country’s independence struggle.

 

Gachagua, a powerful businessman from Kenya’s biggest tribe, the Kikuyu, weathered previous corruption scandals to become deputy leader as Ruto’s running mate in a closely fought election in August 2022.

 

He brought in votes from the Kikuyu in the key Mount Kenya region that helped Ruto secure victory.

 

A blunt leader with a gift of the gab, Gachagua is the first deputy president to be ousted in this manner since impeachment was introduced in Kenya’s revised 2010 constitution.

 

Analysts say his real crime may have been his unbridled ambition and refusal to fall in line behind his boss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP

 

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Transfer: Real Madrid , Cucurella Reach Verbal Agreement 

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Chelsea reliable defender, Marc Cucurella may join Spanish giant, Real Madrid before the end of the current transfer window.if information from transfer journalist, Fabrizio Romano are anything to go by.

 

Romano In a latest transfer update, said Real Madrid has reached verbal agreement to sign Marc Cucurella from Chelsea.

“Verbal agreement in place between all parties, player too — he’s the left back wanted by Mourinho” the update read.

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Hakimi, Vinicius Barred From Speaking Spanish At World Cup

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FIFA has come under scrutiny after several high-profile players, including Achraf Hakimi and Vinicius Junior, were discouraged from speaking Spanish during media engagements at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States.

 

The issue first surfaced ahead of Morocco’s Group C clash with Brazil when a Spanish-speaking journalist attempted to question Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi in Spanish.

Despite Hakimi, who grew up in Madrid and speaks the language fluently, indicating he was comfortable answering in Spanish, event officials reportedly insisted that questions be asked in English.

Hakimi attempted to reassure organizers that language would not be a barrier, but officials maintained that no Spanish translator was available for the session. A compromise was eventually reached, with the reporter asking the question in Spanish while Hakimi responded in English.

The controversy intensified during Brazil’s media session when Vinicius Junior was also interrupted while responding to a question in Spanish.

The Real Madrid forward, who is more comfortable speaking Portuguese or Spanish than English, was reportedly asked by organizers to switch languages.

Rather than continue in Spanish, Vinicius opted to answer in Portuguese before turning his attention back to Brazil’s World Cup preparations.

The incidents sparked widespread debate among journalists and fans, many of whom questioned why Spanish—a language spoken by millions across North America—was effectively restricted at a tournament being hosted largely in the United States.

According to Spanish media outlet El País, FIFA only provides Spanish-language translation services at World Cup press conferences involving Spanish-speaking nations such as Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, and Paraguay.

For all other teams, questions and answers are expected to be conducted either in English or the official language of the participating country.

The policy has generated criticism online, with many supporters arguing that multilingual communication should be encouraged at a global event like the World Cup.

The backlash was particularly strong in Vinicius’ case, as the Brazilian forward appeared visibly uncomfortable being asked to communicate in English.

The controversy overshadowed what was otherwise a highly anticipated encounter between Brazil and Morocco, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

With the issue now drawing international attention, FIFA may face increasing calls to review its media language guidelines as the tournament progresses.

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It’s Illegal’…Falana’s Bombshell Indicts Govs, FG.

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Human rights advocate, Femi Falana, has warned federal and state governments against negotiating with and rewarding terrorists.

 

According to Falana, the practice is illegal.

He stated this while delivering the keynote address at the Amnesty International Second Annual General Meeting in Abuja on June 13, 2026.

Falana claimed it is public knowledge officials of the Federal Government and some State Governments have been holding meetings and negotiating with terrorists and bandits, which has led to thousands of ‘repentant’ criminals being forgiven and given cash gifts of undisclosed sums of money.

Asserting that the “satanic Boko Haram sect and similar bodies have been proscribed” under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, Falana insisted that “their members and allies shall be prosecuted and not pampered and forgiven by the Nigerian State.”

Highlighting the legal consequences, he quoted Section 22 of the Act, stating: “A person who knowingly—(a) arranges, manages, assists in arranging or managing, participates in a meeting or an activity, which in his knowledge is concerned or connected with an act of terrorism or terrorist group, (b) collects, or provides logistics, equipment, information, articles or facilities for a meeting or an activity, which in his knowledge is concerned or connected with an act of terrorism or terrorist group, or (c) attends a meeting, which in his knowledge is to support a proscribed entity or to further the objectives of a proscribed entity, commits an offence, and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of at least 20 years.”

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