NAIROBI, Kenya — Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto of orchestrating a campaign to politically undermine Deputy President Kithure Kindiki by allegedly encouraging senior government leaders to publicly attack him.
Speaking during a media roundtable on Sunday, Gachagua claimed Kindiki was under intense political pressure but had remained silent because of his position in government. He likened the Deputy President’s situation to what he said he experienced while serving as Ruto’s deputy.
“Our son from Tharaka is suffering. I know what he is going through because I went through the same. Being that I was elected, I was tough-headed, no one could insult me. Even Junet’s statements, it is Ruto who told them,” Gachagua alleged.
He further claimed that the President was deliberately provoking Kindiki in the hope that he would eventually resign from office.
“Ruto is the one making him suffer. Ruto has told them until Kindiki gets angry and resigns,” he claimed.
Gachagua said the alleged strategy mirrored events during his own tenure as Deputy President, recalling a political function in Kisumu where, he alleged, leaders allied to President Ruto publicly criticised him under the President’s direction.
The former Deputy President also defended Kindiki over criticism that he had remained silent following controversial remarks by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale that were widely interpreted as targeting members of the Kikuyu community.
According to Gachagua, Kindiki could not openly rebuke Duale because he remains part of the Kenya Kwanza administration and is bound by the responsibilities of his office.
The DCP leader, however, criticised Duale, arguing that the Cabinet Secretary owed his position to the support President Ruto received from the Mount Kenya region during the 2022 General Election.
He questioned why Duale would allegedly liken members of the Kikuyu community to hyenas despite the region’s role in delivering votes that helped propel President Ruto to power.
The controversy stems from remarks Duale made during a public event in Lafey Constituency, Mandera County, where, while speaking in Somali, he praised the Kenya Kwanza administration for expanding access to national identity cards and implementing development projects in the North Eastern region.
During the address, Duale made remarks that appeared to criticise the Kikuyu community, claiming some believed “no one else should live in Kenya” before using a Somali proverb referencing a hyena.
The comments sparked condemnation from leaders across the political divide, including Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua and several senators.
Duale has since denied targeting any community, insisting that his remarks were taken out of context.
He explained that the Somali phrase “Waraabe la-tagis bartay, ka-ridis waa ku dhib” is a common proverb referring to the difficulty of changing entrenched habits and was never intended as an ethnic slur.
The Cabinet Secretary maintained that his message centred on the government’s commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity for all Kenyans, dismissing accusations of ethnic incitement as a deliberate distortion of his remarks.
Gachagua nevertheless maintained that, had he still been serving as Deputy President, he would have pushed for Duale’s resignation, arguing that the Health Cabinet Secretary’s comments were incompatible with a government that relied heavily on support from the Mount Kenya region.
