NAIROBI, Kenya – Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has gone for President William Ruto’s jugular, accusing him of being what he termed the most corrupt person on earth.
Additionally, Ruto has criticised Gachagua, calling him incompetent and corrupt, indicating a potential lack of trust within the government’s upper echelons.
On Monday, January 27, 2025, Gachagua pitched a tent at the newly opened Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP) offices located at Chui House.
He was hosted by DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa and a group of politicians, including Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.
How Rigathi Gachagua hit back at William Ruto
When he took to the podium, Gachagua, who has recently been in exchange with his former boss, President William Ruto, took a stab at the head of state, accusing him of abetting runaway corruption in government.
“Last week, he (President Ruto) went to Western Kenya, claiming that he dismissed me from his government. William Ruto, do you have the moral authority to talk about corruption? We sympathize with you because the other day there was an opinion poll on the most corrupt person in the world, and we are happy because for your rate, instead of being number one, they ranked you number two,” Gachagua said amid applause from the crowd.
Early January 2025, President Ruto was ranked second in the OCCRP’s Corrupt Person of the Year award, after Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad.
Despite receiving the most public nominations ever—over 40,000—Ruto narrowly missed the top spot.
The award recognises figures advancing global organised crime and corruption.
“I sat him down and told him (President Ruto) not to touch the mountain Why he is annoyed is because 47% of his support (4 million votes) are now lost. He is now depending on former prime minister Raila Odinga that should he secure the Africa Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson seat, it will help secure a second term in 2027,” Gachagua fired at President Ruto.
Thank you my brothers @skmusyoka, @rigathi, @RichardOnyonka_ on behalf of my brother Fred Matiang’i, a host of legislators and leaders for joining us today @DAP_Kenya as we unveiled our new Chui House Headquarters. The great hunting journey has just started and we shall engage…
According to Gachagua, President Ruto had already lost the support he had in Ukambani, perceived to be Kalonzo’s political bastion and the Western Kenya region.
“Even he can’t win in Gusii land. This guy (Ruto) is at a crossroads. He is cornered. Our job now is very easy; it is to stay together and unite our people,” said Gachagua.
Speaking at the same time, Kalonzo claimed that it was impossible to isolate the vote-rich Mt. Kenya region or any part of the country.
“It is not possible. We want to tell William Ruto that the mountain is not isolatable. The country is united against one person called William Ruto. Have you asked yourself why you are not seeing opinion polls these days? It is simple: this administration is enjoying the lowest opinion rating since independence. There is no way you’re going to win the elections in 2027,” said Kalonzo.
Why Mt. Kenya electorates turned against Uhuru Kenyatta
Gachagua disclosed that the reason President Ruto had to do away with him was because he could not agree with him.
“I could not agree to corruption. The State House of Nairobi is the real centre of corrupt activities,” said Gachagua.
The former second in command also accused President Ruto of engaging in politics of betrayal.
“You’re a beneficiary of my community’s distaste for betrayal. When they decided that President Uhuru Kenyatta had betrayed you, they turned against him for betraying you in their view and voted for you. And you were not one of them. They simply hated one of them to support you, yet you were not one of them. So, if you betray one of them, you will tell me the story,” he said.
According to Gachagua, President Ruto had lost popularity in the Mt. Kenya region after he was ousted from the Kenya Kwanza government.
“Today, as we speak, his (Ruto’s) messages of condolences are unwelcome in the mountain. The other day we were in Embu, and they were trying to blame Justin Muturi because people rejected his condolence message. The president wrote him abusive messages the whole night threatening to sack him. But even if you sack Bedan Muturi, nothing will change in that area,” Gachagua told the crowd in Karen.
Notable politicians present include Senators Richard Onyonka (Kisii), Karungo wa Thang’wa (Kiambu), John Methu (Nyandarua), and Nyeri governor Mutahi Kahiga.
Rigathi Gachagua: President William Ruto could not agree me to stay in government because I could not agree to corruption. The State House of Nairobi is the real centre of corrupt activities
Others present at the newly opened DAP-K party office in Karen, Nairobi, were Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba (Githunguri), former Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala, and former Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi, among others.
“I told him (Ruto) it is his undoing; I told him not to touch the mountain; it is in the Bible. But because he has some young leaders he moves around with, young boys who are born in towns and brought up with Cerelac, they don’t know the community. They tell him it is okay; no problem, the mountain belongs to you. I told him I am an elder and I know my people so well. These fellows of the mountain hate betrayal and deception. Because of what the British colonisers did to them, they hated betrayal. Today, as we speak, his messages of condolences are unwelcome in the mountain,” Gachagua fumed.
Why Rigathi Gachagua fell out with President William Ruto
According to Gachagua, who recently reconciled with NARC Kenya party leader Martha Karua, along the way, he could not agree with President Ruto because he is a very ‘principled’ person.
“I told him, boss, we have lost focus. This is what we told the people of Kenya. We had assured the people of Kenya that we could never carry out evictions and demolitions because they are inhumane. When he decided to evict people from the Nairobi River along the line and the Nairobi River Commission was in my office, he asked me to lead that programme, but I told him I couldn’t do it because it was against my principles, and he insisted that I must do it,” Gachagua recalled.
Today, I joined the Party Leaders Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper Democratic Movement) and Eugene Wamalwa of the Democratic Action Party of Kenya at the grand unveiling of the new DAP-K Party headquarters here in Nairobi. I gave my commitment that we stand united under one common goal…
Gachagua also recounted how he was the lone voice at the height of the Finance Bill 2024 debate in President Ruto’s debate.
“I was the lone voice in Cabinet telling him, listening to the people of Kenya, they won’t accept the Finance Bill. He became intolerant; he became dictatorial, and the government that he leads is a one-man show,” claimed Gachagua.
The former DP who arrived at Chui House to a triumphant welcome claimed that all the Kenya Kwanza CSs are flower girls.
“I was the only man in that Cabinet who could stand up and tell him (Ruto), ‘Hey boss, no, this can’t work. That is why he needed me out. It is a praise and worship choir for the President, and I could not fit in that choir,” Gachagua hit back at President Ruto.
Why Kalonzo wants a working IEBC
Meanwhile, Kalonzo claimed that the other reason the government was delaying the appointment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners was the fear of recalling some incompetent MPs.
“The government of the day knows that under the Constitution you can recall some of those MPs. And I want to prepare our people; now that the IEBC is there, kindly be prepared so that those people can be recalled because they have acted unjustly, they have supported corruption, and they have stood for a government that abducts its citizens,” Kalonzo said.
Kalonzo further suggested that June 25 should be marked as the birth of a new Kenya where young Kenyans breached Parliament.
“They did an incredible thing; they stood for their future. Afterwards, we visited some of them and saw how they had been brutalised. You want us to forget all these; you want us to tell you that the broad-based government is not blood-based?” posed Kalonzo.
