NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has refuted claims by President William Ruto, who labeled him corrupt and incompetent.
In a pointed rebuttal on Thursday, January 23, Gachagua accused the president of deflecting attention from his administration’s shortcomings over the past two years.
“When you talk about corruption, people of this country know who is corrupt. When you talk about incompetence, people know who is incompetent. That is where we are as a country,” Gachagua stated. “If you ask people what has happened in this country in two years, that is sheer incompetence.”
The former deputy president argued that Kenyans are aware of the prevailing issues and suggested that the president take responsibility for the state of the nation.
“When you talk about people who are corrupt and incompetent, just take the mirror and look at yourself because Kenyans know better. They know exactly where we are. People are very intelligent,” he remarked.
Gachagua also took issue with being a recurring topic in the president’s public addresses, urging Ruto to focus on pressing issues, particularly development.
“I want to ask the president and those in Western Kenya, please deal with the issues in Western Kenya. Rigathi Gachagua is not the solution to the problems in Western Kenya. A whole president and a whole brigade go to a whole region and instead of discussing development, they are discussing Gachagua,” he said.
The remarks came in response to President Ruto’s comments during a development tour in Vihiga County on Wednesday.
Ruto accused Gachagua of failing in his duties while in office, further describing him as a tribalist and corrupt.
“There are some people who we gave them work and because of incompetence, not understanding anything, theft, conmanship, corruption, hatred, their plan and work flopped. I want to tell them that they will continue failing because Kenya does not have any space for people who are corrupt, do not know how to work and are tribalists,” Ruto stated in Luanda.
