Ousted Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has sensationally claimed President William Ruto and his allies had twice tried to assassinate him by poisoning before a scheme was hatched to impeach him.

The allegations by Gachagua are likely to further to stoke political tensions in the East African nation that has gone through tumultuous patch in the past four months since the June 25, 2024, youth uprising against “punitive taxes” that led to the government recalling the Finance Bill before it was passed by parliament.

Gachagua directly linked President Ruto to attempts to kill him during a visit to the lakeside town of Kisumu and central Kenya. Neither the president nor his office have responded to the allegations. The deposed deputy president also alleged that he was also poisoned moments before he was stand trial before senate where he had been scheduled to defend himself against 11 charges of abuse of office, insubordination, corruption, ethnic discrimination and theft of public property, among others.

On October 17, Gachagua was taken ill and rushed to high-end Karen Hospital – some 20 kilometres from the venue where he was being tried – and diagnosed with intense chest pains by his personal doctor, cardiologist Dan Gikonyo. He was admitted for four days.

The visibly frail impeached deputy president was discharged on Sunday evening and immediately launched a scathing attack on the president and his government.

As he left hospital, Gachagua also complained that his security protection team had been withdrawn and that President Ruto would be responsible if anything happened to him.

Gachagua – who has dismissed the charges against him as politically motivated – told journalists his safety was at risk.

“It’s the most unfortunate thing that has ever happened in this country that you can be so vicious to a man who helped you to be President,” he told journalists, referring to Ruto, whose candidacy he supported in the 2022 elections.

Police spokeswoman Resila Onyango declined to make an immediate comment and said she would make inquiries about Gachagua’s statement on the security protection. Ruto’s spokesperson said they would comment later.

Senior protection is regularly scaled down for senior politicians after they leave office in Kenya.

Gachagua told journalists he case was different as he had launched a legal challenge to his impeachment so did not see his dismissal as final.

Gachagua was impeached on Thursday on five out of 11 charges including gross violation of the constitution and stirring ethnic hatred, in a motion that was backed by opposition lawmakers and Ruto allies. He denied all the accusations.

On Friday, parliament approved the appointment of Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki to replace Gachagua. But a court put Kindiki’s swearing-in on hold pending the legal challenges from Gachagua and others.

Ruto, who has fallen out with Gachagua in recent months, has not commented on the impeachment proceedings.

On Sunday, while addressing a national holiday celebration, Ruto called for national cohesion and an end to “tribalism and exclusion”.

• A Tell / Reuters report