NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has emerged from political silence to launch a scathing attack on the Kenya Kwanza administration.
In a fiery interview and subsequent political maneuvering, Linturi appears to have firmly realigned himself with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Earlier this week, Linturi took to Weru TV to break his silence following his ouster as Agriculture CS, making explosive allegations that Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku received Sh5.2 million to orchestrate his impeachment.
“Ruku is a gun for hire. He cannot be trusted,” Linturi claimed, adding that the plot against him was politically motivated and rooted in betrayal.
In his usual unapologetically blunt fashion, Linturi added, “You cannot kill your brother to inherit his wife.”
Linturi suggested Ruku was installed to fill a vacancy, not to serve the people, and lamented that current leaders from the Mt. Kenya region lacked the backbone to advocate for their communities.
Fast forward to today: Gachagua responded not with confrontation, but with choreography.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Ex-DP confirmed he had met with Linturi, former MPs Maoka Maore and David Kariithi, and other leaders from Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties to discuss launching a new political party.
“Our resolve for a better Kenya is unstoppable,” Gachagua declared, calling the meeting “productive and inspiring.”
Notably, Gachagua acknowledged citizen complaints about “brutality, coercion, insecurity, bad governance, and poor public services,” echoing the very sentiments Linturi raised earlier.
Linturi’s declaration that he was ousted not for poor performance but due to political sabotage is gaining traction, especially after he emphasized the lack of ministerial autonomy in the Kenya Kwanza government.
“Ministers have no power,” he stated. “They don’t sign anything. Names just appear in gazette notices.”
If the launch of Gachagua’s new party gains traction, it could fracture Kenya Kwanza’s support base and shift the political center of gravity heading into the next general election.
