NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 1 \u2013 Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has responded angrily to President William Ruto\u2019s remarks about their fallout, accusing the President of lying and misleading the public.<\/p>\n
The response came after Ruto\u2019s interview at Sagana State Lodge on Monday night, where he addressed Gachagua\u2019s impeachment for the first time, accusing his former deputy of causing his own downfall.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am now convinced more than ever before, that pathological lying is a mental disorder. The greatest existential threat to our beloved country is outright lying to the people of Kenya without blinking and failure by a leader to put his team together to harmonise their lies. I weep for my country, Kenya,\u201d he tweeted.<\/p>\n
Ruto claimed Gachagua\u2019s constant conflicts with officials and MPs, including complaints about bloggers like Dennis Itumbi, were a distraction from his duties.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was not working; he was always engaged in fights, constantly complaining about officials. I had to intervene every time until I got tired,\u201d Ruto said.<\/p>\n
Ruto also revealed that Gachagua had demanded Ksh10 billion to resolve issues in Mt. Kenya, threatening Ruto with a one-term presidency if the money was not provided.<\/p>\n
\u201cI refused when he asked me for Sh10 billion, saying that if I didn\u2019t give him the money, I would be a one-term president. This is someone I repeatedly shielded from impeachment when leaders sought his removal for intimidation, but at some point, I gave up,\u201d Ruto said.<\/p>\n
In response, Gachagua\u2019s tweet hit hard, accusing Ruto of being dishonest and warning of the dangers of leaders who manipulate the truth for political gain.<\/p>\n
Gachagua, who was impeached in October 2024 on charges including abuse of office and tribalism, had previously positioned himself as a vocal critic of Ruto\u2019s leadership. His impeachment led to political tensions in the Mt. Kenya region, where Gachagua was once a key figure in rallying support for Ruto in the 2022 elections.<\/p>\n
Despite the fallouts, Ruto maintained confidence in his connection with the Mt. Kenya electorate, noting that his bond with the region was built over decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been visiting Mt. Kenya for over 20 years. This is not a friendship of months or days; it is one built over decades. Such a bond cannot be questioned based on a few months of political shifts,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ruto also dismissed claims that he had neglected the region, highlighting infrastructure projects initiated under his administration, including roads and housing developments.<\/p>\n
The President also took a shot at former Attorney General Justin Muturi, accusing him of incompetence during his time in office.<\/p>\n
\u201cI moved him to the Cabinet, and he absconded meetings,\u201d Ruto said, referencing Muturi\u2019s public criticisms, especially regarding the abductions of youths.<\/p>\n
Despite Ruto\u2019s efforts to placate the political fallout, Gachagua\u2019s harsh words reflect the growing tensions in the region, where some voters have voiced their discontent over the President\u2019s leadership and his handling of Gachagua\u2019s removal.<\/p>\n
As Ruto continues his tour of Mt. Kenya, he is set to launch and inspect various multi-billion-shilling projects across the region, including modern fresh produce markets aimed at benefiting small-scale traders. However, his administration continues to face resistance from key political figures like Gachagua, who remain outspoken in their criticisms.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 1 \u2013 Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has responded angrily to President William Ruto\u2019s remarks about their fallout, accusing the President of lying and misleading the public. The response came after Ruto\u2019s interview at Sagana State Lodge on Monday night, where he addressed Gachagua\u2019s impeachment for the first time, accusing his former […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-112804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112804"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112804\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}