Gachagua drops diplomatic bombshell on Ruto

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has described President William Ruto’s administration as a “commercial government,” accusing it of diplomatic blunders and profiteering from regional conflicts.

In a candid interview with KTN News on Monday night, Gachagua claimed Ruto has been involved in dealings with warring factions in the East African region, particularly in South Sudan.

He accused the Head of State of fueling the ongoing conflict in Sudan through alleged business ties with Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo—commonly known as Hemedti—the leader of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

“For the deaths occurring in Sudan, the real commander of RSF is not Hemedti, it's William Ruto…because for a movement to succeed, it needs money,” claimed Gachagua.

The former DP further alleged that Ruto entered a gold deal with Hemedti in 2023 and personally involved him in facilitating a diplomatic cover.

“In 2023, Ruto called me to his office and told me that, diplomatically, a president can only invite another to visit him, and he has a friend who is a vice president and he cannot invite him. So he wanted me to invite him on his behalf,” he said.

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He said he initially welcomed Hemedti and later accompanied him to the President’s office. But when Ruto allegedly asked him to extend a second invitation, Gachagua refused.

“He told me I must invite him and asked, do you know how much I will lose if you don’t?” he recounted.

Gachagua further accused the president of exploiting Kenya’s diplomatic relations to facilitate gold smuggling. “He is using our country—through your friendship—to bring in gold from Sudan, clean it in Nairobi, ship it to the Middle East, and use the proceeds to buy arms,” he said.

He claimed that after declining to comply, his signature was forged to invite Hemedti again. The visit was later canceled, allegedly after a confrontation between the two leaders.

“He told me, ‘You’ll see me! You’re a very difficult character—the worst mistake I’ve made in 35 years,’” Gachagua recalled.

His claims come more than a month after Kenya hosted RSF and allied groups in Nairobi to sign a transitional constitution aimed at forming a parallel government in Sudan.

Labeling the Ruto administration as a “money-making machine,” Gachagua said Kenya’s foreign policy has been compromised by commercial interests.

“This is a commercial government; everything is driven by commercial interest. The money from gold is being cleaned through Kenya to buy arms that are killing women and children,” he added.

He urged the international community to shift its focus from Hemedti to Ruto. “It’s pointless to sanction Hemedti. The person who needs sanctions is William Ruto. If sanctioned, he’ll stop entertaining Hemedti,” he said.

Gachagua also accused Ruto of interfering in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), claiming ties to the M23 rebel group and the gold trade in the region.

He further alleged that Ruto has personal business deals with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani.

“Only later did I learn that the President and the president of Kosovo had struck a deal at a hotel in Mombasa. Dolphin Hotel is a joint venture between Ruto and the Kosovo president,” he claimed.

He blamed Ruto’s alleged commercial interests for straining Kenya’s diplomatic relations with countries such as Serbia and Russia.

Gachagua appealed to the international community to closely monitor Kenya and hold the president accountable for what he described as impunity.