NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 11- President William Ruto has strongly refuted allegations by leaders of the United Opposition that he conducted clandestine meetings with Al-Shabaab operatives during his recent visit to the Northeastern region.
Addressing residents, the Head of State dismissed the claims as baseless and politically motivated, accusing his critics of peddling divisive narratives aimed at undermining his administration’s development agenda.
He insisted that his government remains focused on fostering unity and accelerating progress across all parts of the country.
“I don’t know what the United Opposition intends to achieve. When I visited this region, they alleged that I had come to meet Al-Shabaab. I want to assure the people of northern Kenya that we are walking this journey together,” Ruto said.
The President emphasized that his tours of the region are centered on economic empowerment, infrastructure expansion, and improved public services not the political gamesmanship he attributes to his rivals.
President Ruto criticized unnamed rivals as “planless,” “brainless,” and “idle” politicians.
Speaking during the launch of the Nyota youth empowerment programme in Garissa, President Ruto said he would not apologise for focusing on young people.
“Anyone telling me to do other work is an idler,” Ruto said. “I am here to work for young people, not to listen to lectures from people who have no plan.”
Without naming names, President Ruto accused rival politicians of lacking ideas and using young people only for political gain, in what appeared as a veiled attack to his former deputy turned foe Rigathi Gachagua.
“We cannot allow planless, brainless, clueless politicians to misuse our youth as goons or bloggers for their own politics,” he said.
According to President Ruto, past governments failed because they had no clear plan to absorb the millions of young people leaving schools and colleges every year.
He said his administration is different because it is “intentional” and “deliberate” about job creation.
He pointed to Nyota, digital jobs, labour export programmes, and affordable housing as proof that his government has a working strategy for youth empowerment.
President Ruto also used the Garissa event to push back against claims that Northern Kenya is receiving special treatment.
He said such criticism is rooted in discrimination and outdated thinking.
“There are no second-class citizens in Kenya,” he said, adding that profiling entire regions on citizenship is unconstitutional.
Last year August, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has challenged former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to record a formal statement with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over his recent allegations linking President William Ruto’s administration to terror groups.
Murkomen said the claims made by Gachagua during an ongoing tour of the United States were too grave to be treated casually and should be documented for investigation by both local and international agencies.
“If and I insist the former deputy president has any information that is worth consideration not just by local, but also international institutions, he must record it with the DCI as soon as he arrives in the country so that we can take him seriously,” Murkomen said.
“Until then, we will just consider it part of his continuous comedy and caricature that he has become.”
In a blistering rebuttal, the Interior CS accused Gachagua of engaging in attention-seeking antics abroad, dismissing his visits to technology firms and amusement parks as mere tourism disguised as high-level engagements.
Murkomen went further, questioning Gachagua’s mental fitness, saying his statements showed “a level of contradictions” that could only be attributed to “either being a pathological liar or a mental case that needs treatment.”
He urged those close to the former deputy president to help him seek medical assistance, stressing that mental health is vital for anyone in public service.
“It is no longer a joke. Many of you share TikTok posts of his messages, encouraging a person who is unwell to continue saying more things that will hurt our country,” he said.