BOSTON, United States – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has hit back at President William Ruto after the Head of State dismissed him as a “fool”, while also reflecting on his political journey since his impeachment.
Speaking to Kenyans in Massachusetts on Friday, October 2, 2026, Gachagua said those who supported his removal from office had predicted that his political career would quickly fade.
The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader said instead he had continued travelling across the United States, where he claimed to be meeting Kenyans as well as wealthy individuals interested in hearing his views.
“The story of Rigathi Gachagua, after he was hounded out of office, is a story that will be told for many years, many years,” he said.
Gachagua Says Critics Predicted His Political Demise
Gachagua said his opponents had portrayed him as a politician whose influence would disappear after his impeachment.
He recalled claims that he would be confined to his rural home in Wamunyoro and said his ongoing engagements in the US had demonstrated otherwise.
“A man who was killed and buried is now all over America, meeting millionaires and billionaires eager to listen to him, moving from one state to another, and Kenyans waiting for his every word every day,” Gachagua said.
He also referred to remarks he attributed to Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, saying Barasa had predicted that he would not even be able to address a village gathering after leaving office.
Gachagua contrasted those remarks with the reception he says he has received from Kenyans living in the United States.
He claimed his meetings in Texas attracted more Kenyans than an engagement President Ruto held in New York, adding that he had continued drawing large crowds in other states.
Gachagua Responds To Ruto’s ‘Fool’ Remark
Gachagua also responded to Ruto’s recent remarks in which the President dismissed statements attributed to his former deputy as those of a “fool”.
The remarks followed questions about Gachagua’s claims concerning Kenya’s mineral resources and proposed exploitation of niobium at Mrima Hills.
Speaking in Boston, Gachagua linked the exchange to the Ol Kalou by-election, claiming the contest had effectively become a political contest between himself and Ruto.
He alleged that the government spent Sh16 billion on development projects in Ol Kalou in an effort to influence voters to support the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate.
Gachagua claimed he secured about 85 per cent of the vote despite what he described as the government’s spending.
The Sh16 billion expenditure figure and Gachagua’s characterisation of the by-election were claims made by him and were not independently established in his remarks.
Gachagua Says 2027 Will Settle Political Dispute
Gachagua said Kenyans would ultimately determine who was right or wrong in the political dispute between him and Ruto.
“If Ruto says that Gachagua is a fool, probably he could be right; he could be wrong. That will be decided with time,” he said.
He pointed to the August 10, 2027 General Election as the point when Kenyans would make their political choice.
Gachagua also accused Ruto of attempting to divide the opposition by placing what he described as “moles” within the United Opposition.
He said DCP had developed what he called a “Kasongometer” to identify individuals he believes are working to disrupt the opposition.
Those allegations were made by Gachagua without evidence being presented in the remarks.
Gachagua Continues US Diaspora Tour
Gachagua’s comments came during the Boston leg of his extended US tour, which has included engagements with Kenyan diaspora communities and investors.
He arrived in Boston on October 1 after concluding the Texas leg of the tour. His published itinerary places him in Massachusetts through October 9.
The former deputy president has used the tour to discuss issues including investment, jobs, governance and the role of Kenyans living abroad in Kenya’s development.
