'Farouk Kibet runs government,' claims Gachagua

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed President William Ruto’s claims that he frequently picked unnecessary fights, forcing the president to mediate minor disputes.

In an exclusive interview with KTN News, Gachagua instead accused Farouk, a close aide of the president, of wielding undue influence within the Kenya Kwanza administration.

“Farouk Kibet is not a small man... he is a co-president in this country. He runs the government, everybody reports to him,” Gachagua claimed.

He further alleged that Kibet relays instructions from the president to cabinet secretaries, describing him as a man cabinet members “tremble at the very sight of.”

The former DP recounted a specific incident where Farouk attempted to issue instructions regarding his office operations, a move he strongly resisted.

“There’s no way I would allow Farouk to give me instructions. He tried to run my office, make appointments, and at first, I thought maybe that’s how President Ruto wanted us to work,” he said.

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However, Gachagua said he later discovered that Farouk was allegedly soliciting money from individuals seeking appointments with him. 

He reported the matter to the president, who then dismissed it as a non-issue.

The former DP also denied claims that he threatened to have Members of Parliament fired last December. Instead, he said he urged them to listen to public concerns over the high cost of living.

“I told MPs that people do not want the Finance Bill; don’t follow the president blindly. If you don’t adjust by December, you risk backlash from the people,” he said.

Gachagua's remarks come days after Ruto accused him of asking for Sh10 billion to support him in 2022.