Gachagua Reveals Ruto Aide’s Call Over Controversial Adani Deal
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has launched fresh criticisms at President William Ruto, shedding light on behind-the-scenes events during his time as the second-highest-ranking official in the country.
Speaking on Monday during the inauguration of the new offices for the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K), Gachagua disclosed that one of his key responsibilities as Deputy President was defending Kenya Kwanza projects, particularly those facing strong public opposition.
Gachagua recounted an incident involving the controversial Adani Deal. He revealed that during a funeral he attended with Eugene Wamalwa and Richard Onyonka, the latter criticized the government for its involvement in the Adani Deal. Gachagua chose to remain silent. “I just sat there, listening without even nodding because I was still in office. When it was my turn to speak, I did not respond to his comments,” he narrated.
Later, he received an angry phone call from one of President Ruto’s personal assistants, a man Gachagua described as a “standard six drop-out.” The aide demanded to know why Gachagua had failed to defend the deal after Onyonka’s remarks. Gachagua retorted, “I told him, ‘I cannot answer you. If your boss has an issue, let him call me himself.’”
Shortly after, the President called him directly. Gachagua revealed that he told Ruto he could not defend the Adani Deal because it was steeped in corruption. According to him, this stance earned him the label of “incompetent,” as he refused to support questionable government projects.
Gachagua alleged that the government was deeply entangled in corrupt practices, which made it impossible for him to endorse certain initiatives. Among the contentious projects he cited were the relocation of people from the Nairobi River area and the Marikiti Market project.
He did not mince his words when describing State House, labeling it as the “most corrupt institution in Kenya.” According to Gachagua, corrupt individuals constantly visited the President to negotiate deals for their personal benefit. He recalled being made to wait for up to five hours to speak with the President as Ruto prioritized meeting with these individuals.
The former Deputy President singled out the Affordable Housing Scheme as the most corrupt project during his tenure. Initially presented as a legacy project meant to create jobs and provide homes for hundreds of thousands of Kenyans annually, Gachagua claimed it turned out to be a massive fraud.
“It is the worst scam perpetrated against Kenyans, and I feel it’s my duty to expose it,” Gachagua stated. He explained that while the project was marketed as a solution to Kenya’s housing crisis, it became clear to him that it was more about enriching a select few in government.
He alleged that lucrative tenders for materials such as cement, roofing sheets, and steel bars were awarded to senior government officials.
To sustain their profits, Gachagua claimed, the government continued to push for more houses to be built, funded by a housing levy imposed on Kenyan workers.
“This housing levy is not about solving housing problems. It’s about ensuring these officials can keep selling materials for profit. That’s why the President accused me of not understanding the project and called me incompetent,” he explained.
Gachagua urged future governments to scrap the Affordable Housing Scheme altogether, stating, “This project is a betrayal of the Kenyan people. It has stripped workers of their hard-earned money through fraudulent levies. To restore dignity to the payslip, the next government must abolish it.”
His remarks provided a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Kenya Kwanza administration, highlighting the challenges he faced as Deputy President and his unwillingness to compromise his principles for the sake of political expediency.
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