President William Ruto has fired back at his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, in a dramatic response to Gachagua’s recent viral tirade during a TikTok Live session.
Speaking in Busia County on Thursday, President Ruto addressed the public, accusing Gachagua of engaging in divisive politics that promote tribalism.
The head of state suggested that Gachagua’s alleged incompetence and tribal-based agenda were the primary reasons he was removed from the government.
“Leaders who are corrupt, incompetent, and rely on tribal politics have no room in this administration,” Ruto told the Busia residents. “That is why you saw those who were selfish and worked against the interests of the people being shown the door.”
The president also mocked Gachagua’s political strategies, particularly the series of meetings the former deputy president has been hosting at his Wamunyoro residence.
Ruto dismissed these gatherings as a futile attempt to dictate political direction through what he described as outdated and self-serving ideologies.
“They’re now holding meetings in the bushes, trying to lecture us on the way forward. But because their politics are based on ethnicity and personal grievances, they have no moral authority to guide us,” Ruto said.
The president also revisited Gachagua’s controversial remarks in the past, where he likened Kenya to a company with shareholders.
Ruto firmly rejected that notion, declaring, “Kenya is not a company divided into shares for a few people. This country belongs to all of us equally.”
While in Busia, the president presided over the launch of the KSh470 million Alupe Dam construction project.
The dam is expected to benefit over 100,000 residents once completed, enhancing access to clean water and supporting irrigation in the region.
Ruto’s remarks came shortly after Rigathi Gachagua took to social media to criticize the Kenya Kwanza government.
During his TikTok Live session, Gachagua specifically targeted the government’s Social Health Authority program.
He argued that the initiative, which was introduced to overhaul the country’s healthcare system, was implemented poorly and lacked sufficient consultation with stakeholders.
According to Gachagua, the original plan under Kenya Kwanza was to lower family healthcare contributions from KSh500 to KSh300 while expanding the program to cover a wide range of illnesses, including chronic conditions.
However, he claimed that the new model was unnecessarily expensive and had deviated from its initial purpose.
“The idea behind the program was good, but the execution has left much to be desired. It was rushed without engaging critical stakeholders, and that has led to its shortcomings,” Gachagua said during his live session.
Gachagua also accused Ruto of losing the trust of the Mount Kenya region, despite appointing several leaders from the area into his government. He argued that the president’s actions had failed to resonate with the concerns of the region’s electorate.
The growing public exchange between the president and his former deputy continues to highlight the deepening rift within Kenya Kwanza, raising questions about the coalition’s future cohesion.
Join Kenyan Gen z and millennials official WhatsApp Channel To Stay Updated On time the ongoing situation https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWT5gSGufImU8R0DO30
Tiktok – https://www.tiktok.com/@news.hub88?_t=ZM-8sz45qJid3V&_r=1
