NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has hit back at claims that he’s plotting to topple President William Ruto’s administration, calling the allegations “unnecessary” and “pure fiction.”
Speaking from Seattle during his U.S. tour, Gachagua dismissed recent remarks by Ruto and his allies suggesting that the ex-DP was scheming to unseat the government through unconstitutional means.
He insisted that the only change he’s after is at the ballot box—in August 2027.
“Nobody wants to overthrow the government. Nobody is interested in unconstitutional change. We want change through the ballot, on the 10th of August 2027,” Gachagua said, pushing back at the narrative that he’s fueling political instability.
His remarks come just days after President Ruto fired a warning shot—figuratively and almost literally—at unnamed individuals accused of orchestrating efforts to oust him.
In a fiery address, Ruto said, “Let them try to change this government through violence and unlawful means before 2027. They will fail.”
But Gachagua wasn’t having it. Instead, he pivoted to condemn what he termed as a “gross violation of human rights,” slamming recent police crackdowns on protesters.
Referencing the controversial “shoot them on the leg” directive from Ruto and the now-notorious “shoot to kill” order reportedly echoed by Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen and Belgut MP Nelson Koech, Gachagua said, “That is where nobody can believe it. The worst of all is the gross violation of human rights.”
He also alleged that a well-known criminal figure from the 1990s had cases against him dropped—allegedly as a reward for fueling chaos during protests. “The case was withdrawn to thank him for a job ‘well done’,” Gachagua claimed, without naming the individual.
As the political temperature rose, the former DP continued championing the “Wantam” movement—a countrywide campaign to make the Ruto administration a one-term government.
“Kenyans have decided. It’s not just the Mt. Kenya region. Across the country, 90% can’t wait. It is one term,” he said defiantly.
He didn’t stop there. Gachagua also attacked Raila Odinga’s recent push for a national dialogue, which the opposition leader said could help calm the storm and find solutions.
Gachagua dismissed the idea outright, calling it a “diversion” allegedly orchestrated by Ruto himself.
“I heard Raila Odinga saying we need dialogue, a national conclave. What has happened is that the old man has been sent by Ruto to slow down the Wantam momentum,” he declared.
And in classic Gachagua fashion, he didn’t hold back. “Riggy G is not the solution—I never said I am. The solution is one-term. You can’t stop it. It can’t be stopped.”
While in Seattle, he also found time to address the Kenyan diaspora, thanking them for their continued financial contributions to the country.
“You people are serious partners in our economic development. You are our number one source of foreign exchange,” he said.
From denying coup plots to throwing jabs at former allies, Gachagua is making it crystal clear—he’s in it for the long haul, and the countdown to 2027 has already begun.
