Information, Communication, and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo has firmly denied allegations that President William Ruto is meddling in key decisions within his ministry, particularly when it comes to hiring or firing top officials.
Kabogo was responding directly to accusations made by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who had alleged that President Ruto personally instructed Kabogo to dismiss former ICT Authority CEO Stanley Kamanguya along with the board members who renewed his contract. But according to Kabogo, that claim is entirely false and misleading.
Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, July 22, Kabogo made it clear that he operates independently and strictly within the bounds of the law.
He explained that in the six months he has served as CS, he has only interacted with President Ruto during official Cabinet meetings—and never about day-to-day operations or personnel matters in his ministry.
“Earlier today, I addressed a circulating video where the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua claims that President Ruto directed me to fire Stanley Kamanguya and the ICT Authority board,” Kabogo told the media.
“I want to be crystal clear—the President has never called me about internal matters in the ministry, not even once.”
The controversy was sparked by a video of Gachagua, currently on a two-month visit to the United States, where he alleged that the President took offense after the board renewed Kamanguya’s term for another three years, claiming Ruto then moved swiftly to sack the entire board simply because the CEO hailed from the Mt. Kenya region.
“There’s a CEO named Stanley. The board extended his term by three years. Ruto became angry and fired all board members because they renewed the contract of that man from Mt. Kenya,” Gachagua alleged in the video.
However, Kabogo pushed back strongly, describing the former Deputy President’s remarks as dangerous, misleading, and divisive. He emphasized that such comments only serve to stir ethnic tensions and discredit the President unfairly.
“There have never been any instructions issued based on tribal affiliations or favoritism,” Kabogo said. “It is deeply unfortunate that a leader like Mr. Gachagua can make such a reckless and inflammatory claim.”
Since being ousted as Deputy President in October last year, Gachagua has repeatedly accused President Ruto of centralizing power and turning the Cabinet into a rubber-stamp for his personal decisions.
In several interviews, Gachagua claimed that most Cabinet Secretaries were too afraid to stand up to Ruto and simply followed his directives without question.
“In Cabinet, I was the only one brave enough to speak the truth. Everyone else was too scared. Whenever the President gave them that stern look, they bowed their heads in silence,” Gachagua said in a previous interview on Sunday, November 24.
Despite these bold claims, Kabogo insists that he operates independently and that the President respects the rule of law and the autonomy of ministries. He maintained that decisions within the ICT Ministry, including appointments and dismissals, are guided by proper procedure, not political pressure.
Kabogo’s rebuttal now adds to the growing public debate over the alleged power struggles and internal tensions within the Kenya Kwanza government, even as the administration faces increasing scrutiny over issues of transparency and governance.
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