NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 7 – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday accused President William Ruto of deliberately reviving illicit alcohol and drug abuse for political reasons.
Gachagua was speaking during the burial of the late John Joroge Muhwemo, the father of Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia, in Nyandarua County.
Addressing mourners, he claimed the government had intentionally undermined successful efforts he once led to curb illegal alcohol and drug abuse in the Mt Kenya region.
According to Gachagua, the war against illicit alcohol had shown real results before it was sabotaged.
He said factories producing dangerous brews were shut down, drinking hours were regulated, and communities began to recover, with young people returning home and families stabilising.
“I sat down with William Ruto and told him our people were being destroyed by alcohol. He allowed me to fight it, and we succeeded,” Gachagua told the crowd.
“But when he saw it was working, he brought alcohol back. That is when we completely fell out.”
Gachagua accused President Ruto of pretending to fight alcohol and drugs while quietly undoing previous reforms.
He claimed funding was withdrawn from rehabilitation programmes, including church-led initiatives that were helping addicts recover, causing them to collapse.
He went further to allege that the fight against drugs cannot succeed when, according to him, senior figures within government are compromised.
The DCP Party leader sensationally claimed that two Cabinet ministers are linked to the illegal drug trade, questioning how the government can genuinely tackle drug abuse under such circumstances.
“How do you end drugs when people at the top are involved?” he asked, drawing loud reactions from the crowd.