Rigathi Gachagua's bombshell against Ruto

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto of using the presidency to advance his private commercial and financial interests.

In a revealing interview with KTN News on Monday evening, Gachagua also accused his former boss—whom he labelled the "high priest" of corruption and "chief procurement officer"—of coercing State officials into doing his bidding.

Gachagua's claims align with those of the former Public Service Cabinet Secretary, who last week sensationally accused the President of masterminding corrupt government dealings.

Yesterday, Gachagua stated that corrupt deals were the reason Ruto fell out with his first Attorney General.

“The Health bills were part of his first point of departure with Justin Muturi when he refused to approve four bills during his tenure as Attorney General. His business interests (Ruto's) were about Sh104 billion, which was meant for the agency’s system. The NHIF had indicated that it would use Sh800 million only for the upgrade, but Ruto was opposed to the plan,” he said.

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  'Farouk Kibet runs government,' claims Gachagua

Gachagua also refuted claims that he demanded Sh10 billion from President Ruto, dismissing the allegation as a desperate attempt to justify his impeachment to the Mt Kenya region.

“Ruto has on many occasions taken responsibility for my removal from office, and this was seconded by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Sholei when she admitted that she followed Ruto’s directions during my impeachment motion,” Gachagua said.

He described Ruto’s Sh10 billion claim as “old-fashioned smear tactics” that he said the president had used on others he had fallen out with, including former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“When he differed with Uhuru, he presented him as a drunkard, incompetent, and a leader unable to govern the country, making people believe that it was he who was at the steering wheel. He is now waging a propaganda campaign against me in a futile attempt to incite people against me,” Gachagua said.

Gachagua also questioned why Ruto, while visiting the Mt Kenya region, never labelled him as tribal, retrogressive, and divisive, as he did in regions like Nyanza, North Eastern, and Western. Instead, Ruto advanced the narrative of the Sh10 billion bribe.

“If I were to ask for the money, I would probably have asked for it during the formative stages of this administration, as it is a public secret that I funded his campaigns and that is why he placed me as his running mate,” he said.

He added: "Ruto, his chief propagandist Dennis Itumbi, and his Mr. Fix-It Kimani Ichung’wah need to harmonise their lies. Itumbi claimed I demanded Sh6.5 billion, Ichung’wah claimed I demanded Sh4 billion, and now Ruto talks of Sh10 billion. Even lies need consistency.”

Addressing Ruto’s claim that he had been fighting junior leaders such as his personal assistant Farouk Kibet, Ichung’wah, and Itumbi, Gachagua said he had refused to be controlled by Kibet, who he accused of issuing instructions to Cabinet Secretaries and top government officials, including Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja.

“At one point, I had innocently allowed him to manage my diary until I realised that he was demanding money from people who wanted to see me. This was when I confronted the President and reminded him that he had vowed never to allow his deputy to be harassed by junior officers,” Gachagua explained.

“The President told me he had no problem with Farouk making a little money, but I maintained that I would not allow myself to be instructed by Farouk.”

On Itumbi, Gachagua claimed: "He is the person who directs ministers on what to say in public and also wanted to control my messaging. I refused, as I had a fully-fledged communication department. Itumbi also has a private arrangement with the President, and every time I had a meeting with him, Itumbi would interrupt to inform the President that time was up and his next meeting was due. All this was a scheme to harass and intimidate me.”

According to Gachagua, tensions with Ruto began a month after they ascended to the presidency when the President allegedly ignored several agreements on government portfolios.

“I had pleaded with him to retain some of the principal secretaries from the former administration, especially from Mt Kenya and Rift Valley regions. To my dismay, while he made announcements, he retained five from his region and only one from mine. This is when I realised that he is deceptive and tribal,” Gachagua said.

Upon questioning Ruto, Gachagua claimed, the President insulted him and reminded him that he was the appointing authority. Ruto allegedly told him that if Gachagua wanted to appoint officials, he should run for president himself.

Gachagua also gave an account of Ruto's alleged involvement in corruption, speaking of an incident in Naivasha where he allegedly tried to coerce Muturi into approving the purchase of 11,000 acres of Kedong Ranch for the industrial park using the Settlement Trustee Fund.

“Muturi vehemently refused the directive, explaining that the Fund was meant for settling people. This led the President to label Muturi as indisciplined. He called me and directed me to warn the ‘stupid man from Mbeere,’ but I downplayed the matter as Muturi was right,” he claimed.

Describing Ruto as the "country’s chief procurement officer," Gachagua revisited the issue of fertiliser donated to Kenya by Russia and Algeria.

He claimed that, although the fertiliser was meant to be given to farmers for free, it was instead donated to a business associate of Ruto’s, who then blended it with counterfeit fertiliser and sold it to the government at Sh4,000.

“Russia donated 40,000 metric tonnes while Algeria donated 30,000 metric tonnes, which were later given to Maisha Minerals Limited, owned by Ruto’s business associate. A report was written by Kebs, but it was shelved because it would have implicated Ruto. I have documents to support these claims,” Gachagua added.

Gachagua also claimed that Ruto’s commercial interests were behind his decision to recognise Kosovo as an independent state, alleging that he is running a hotel in Mombasa in partnership with Kosovo’s president.

“The President is also in business dealings with the RSF leadership, and I can confirm that he has held meetings with M23 officials who are engaged in a war with the DRC. I urge the international community to investigate Ruto’s relationship with the leaders of these groups,” Gachagua said.

Commenting on Ruto’s Mt Kenya region tour, Gachagua laughed off the large crowds at his meetings, saying they were hired.

“People were paid to attend Ruto’s meetings, and I also participated in mobilising when I realised money had been poured to lure people to attend. But he should not confuse the huge crowds for support. The region hates betrayal and left him a long time ago,” Gachagua said.

On Ruto’s allies who were heckled, Gachagua said: "That was a clear message to the President that the people could not heckle him because they respect the presidency, but the people he associates with have been rejected by the people."