NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has issued a hard-hitting New Year 2026 statement in which he sharply criticised President William Ruto’s administration.
He accused the government of economic mismanagement, erosion of constitutionalism, widespread corruption, and human rights abuses.
In a statement addressed to “patriotic Kenyans at home and abroad,” Gachagua said the year 2026 should mark a turning point for the country, following what he described as three years of pain, instability, and declining public trust.
“It is my greatest joy to wish Kenyans a Happy New Year 2026,” Gachagua said, adding that every Kenyan deserved happiness, dignity, and opportunity under the ideals envisioned by the country’s founding fathers.
However, the former deputy president painted a grim picture of the state of the nation, saying 2025 had been particularly “unstable, disturbing and painful” for a country of hardworking and resilient citizens.
1/2Patriotic Kenyans, Happy New Year 2026It is my greatest joy to wish you Happy New Year 2026. I wish you Blessings, Happiness and God’s Grace. Every single Kenyan today anywhere in the world deserves to be happy and joyous under the framework and dreams of our forefathers.
Economic decline and governance concerns
Gachagua accused the government of presiding over an economic nose-dive driven by reckless borrowing, punitive taxation and poor fiscal policies, which he said had collapsed businesses, weakened the middle class and pushed millions closer to poverty.
He claimed that an estimated two million more Kenyans risked falling below the poverty line in 2025, warning that poverty levels had risen sharply compared to previous years.
“The middle class has been crashed and weakened,” he said, arguing that the high cost of living, pending bills running into billions of shillings and forced deductions on workers’ payslips had worsened household suffering.
Allegations of corruption and asset grabbing
In his New Year message, Gachagua also alleged large-scale corruption and attempts to illegally dispose of or grab national strategic assets.
He cited Safaricom PLC, Bomas of Kenya, the Maasai Mara and Kenya Pipeline among assets he claimed were targeted.
He further referenced alleged gold theft schemes stretching from Kakamega to Turkana oil siphoning operations, accusing the state of failing to protect national resources.
Human rights, security and rule of law
The DCP leader raised concerns over what he termed as the abuse of the criminal justice system to settle political scores, citing alleged abductions, extrajudicial killings, police brutality and political assassinations.
He also accused the government of shrinking democratic space, muzzling press freedom and passing what he described as “brutal laws” without public participation.
Further, he condemned incidents where churches were tear-gassed and women and children exposed to violence, alleging collusion between police and hired gangs during protests.
Social services and vulnerable groups
The statement highlighted what Gachagua described as the collapse of key social services, including a dysfunctional Social Health Authority (SHA), starvation of patients at Kenyatta National Hospital and a failing education system.
He expressed concern over child poverty, stating that more than half of Kenyan children were experiencing multidimensional poverty, with counties such as Mandera, Turkana, Samburu, Wajir and Tana River recording the highest deprivation levels.
Call for change in 2026
Despite the strong criticism, Gachagua said he remained hopeful that 2026 and the months ahead would mark a decisive moment for Kenya.
He urged Kenyans not to forget the events of recent years, saying accountability, constitutionalism and national renewal must be prioritised.
“The next phase must be about restoring dignity, justice and the promise of an independent Kenya,” he said.
