Gachagua Hits Back at Ruto, Demands Compensation for Victims of Forced Disappearances
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has strongly responded to President William Ruto’s recent apology over the issue of forced disappearances, calling it insincere and demanding concrete action.
Speaking on Sunday, June 1, during a church service in Lari, Kiambu County, Gachagua described the president’s apology as “too casual” and insisted that Ruto should take the matter more seriously.
Gachagua challenged the president to go beyond words and personally meet the families of those who were killed or abducted during last year’s demonstrations against the Finance Bill.
He emphasized that these families deserve justice and compensation for their pain and loss.
“I saw Ruto giving an apology in a very casual manner,” Gachagua said. “If he truly wants to make things right, he should sit down with the parents of these children who went missing or died, and offer them an apology in person. He must also compensate them.”
Interestingly, Gachagua’s remarks seemed to echo a similar message shared earlier by opposition leader Raila Odinga during his Madaraka Day speech.
Raila, who recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ruto’s ruling UDA party, made a six-minute speech in which he also urged the president to compensate victims of the 2023 protests as a way of helping the country move forward from that dark period.
In a rare moment of agreement with a leader allied to Ruto, Gachagua stated that now that Raila had also raised the issue, he believed the president might be more willing to listen.
“I’ve seen Raila tell you this,” Gachagua noted, addressing Ruto directly. “And I know now you will take it seriously because today’s politics shows that Ruto is depending on Raila.”
During the same church gathering, Gachagua made a passionate appeal for President Ruto to reach out to the parents of Billy Mwangi, a young Kenyan who vanished in late 2024 and was present at the service.
He urged the president to offer both an apology and compensation to Billy’s family, symbolizing the kind of accountability he wants the government to uphold.
Gachagua also expanded his call for justice, urging the government to compensate the victims of a recent tragic fire incident in Gachie village, Kiambu County.
The inferno claimed the lives of three people, and Gachagua argued that their families also deserved support and acknowledgment from the government.
Moreover, the former Deputy President used the platform to criticize some political leaders from the Mount Kenya region, accusing them of acting on behalf of President Ruto to interfere with his public events.
He claimed that certain Members of Parliament from the region were leaking information about his schedules to Ruto’s allies, who then allegedly sent goons to disrupt his functions.
“These people are being used to frustrate me,” Gachagua claimed. “They inform the president’s team about where I’ll be, so that disruptions can be planned in advance.”
While Newshub.co.ke has not independently confirmed these allegations, similar claims have previously been dismissed by government officials.
Gachagua’s statements reflect growing tensions between him and Ruto’s inner circle, as well as his continued effort to assert himself as a voice for justice, especially for families affected by state-related violence and tragedies.
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