By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
National Assembly leader of the majority has defended the government’s decision to deny Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua access to military choppers.
According to Ichungwa, it is only the President who can use a military helicopter.
However, the Kikuyu MP said the second in command has been given full access to police helicopters.
“Is the deputy president entitled to use the military aircraft? I did engage the Cabinet Secretary for Defence. He asserted that only the president as the commander in chief and the first lady have access to military aircraft. The deputy president has a police aircraft which is currently under maintenance,” Ichungwa said
He added that the plane’s pilot is an individual from the Kenya Airforce.
The DP has in the last few occasions been forced to use private planes when attending to key functions – among them the recent Madaraka Day celebrations in Bungoma and an Akurinu meeting in Nakuru last weekend.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale a few weeks ago issued a directive blocking politicians from using military planes. It is a directive that is said to have resulted in the current situation where the DP is said to be unhappy.
Reports indicate that the DP’s unhappiness started when he was denied a helicopter for the national tree-planting event – after which he went missing for at least a week.
When he reappeared, he said he had been holed up at Mount Kenya – praying for the country.
But since then, he has not been spotted using a military helicopter.
On Sunday, he arrived an hour later after President Ruto, a situation he blamed on challenges in his transport arrangements.
“Mr President, first of all, I want to ask for forgiveness, for coming late. I am not an indisciplined person. You know very well, that I was a uniformed officer and in your government, I am the most disciplined person,” said Gachagua.
“I had challenges with my transport arrangements and I also encountered weather issues between Naivasha and Longonot for about an hour,” he added.
On Tuesday, the DP boarded a commercial Kenya Airways plane to Mombasa in a gesture that has sparked a fresh round of push and pull for two emerging camps in Mount Kenya.