NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has launched a blistering attack on President William Ruto, admitting that many Kenyans blame him for backing Ruto’s rise to power.
Speaking on February 27 during the launch of Martha Karua’s People’s Liberation Party (PLP), Gachagua painted himself as a victim of political betrayal, claiming he was misled by Ruto just like the ordinary citizens he once rallied behind him.
The former DP, who was impeached last year, lamented that people in his home region continue to hold him responsible for the economic hardship under Ruto’s leadership.
“Many people from home blame me. ‘You brought us this man, you said you knew him, that he would put money in our pockets.’ Instead, what has he done? He has taken away the little we had,” Gachagua said.
He accused Ruto of deception, arguing that his government has been built on “lies and lies and lies.”
According to Gachagua, the turning point in their relationship came within months of taking office when he realized Ruto’s policies were not aligned with the promises they made during the campaign.
“After six or eight months, I started seeing who this man really was,” he revealed. “I told him to slow down on taking money from people’s pockets, but he told me to stop being stubborn.”
Positioning himself as an “ordinary Kenyan,” Gachagua suggested he was as much a casualty of Ruto’s broken promises as the voters.
“I was born in Wamunyoro, I haven’t studied much, I don’t have a PhD, I don’t have a Master’s degree, just an ordinary person,” he said.
“But if this man can deceive bishops—those anointed with oil by pastors—who am I, Rigathi Gachagua?”
He also claimed that Ruto dismissed concerns about unfulfilled campaign promises, prioritizing new projects over those initially pledged.
“I told him, let’s complete the Mau Mau roads and other projects we started. He said, ‘Forget that, let’s build houses instead.’ I asked, ‘What about the promises we made to Kenyans?’ He said, ‘Forget about those promises, that was just for the campaign.’”
Gachagua’s remarks came as he joined opposition leaders—including Karua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, and DAP-K’s Eugene Wamalwa—at the launch of the PLP.
The move signals growing efforts to unite opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general election.
Karua, Gachagua, Kalonzo, and Wamalwa have been holding meetings, particularly in the Mount Kenya region, in a bid to consolidate support.
