Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s whirlwind tours to various parts of the country, mainly the Mount Kenya region, while splashing millions of shillings to local groups in the name of empowerment has triggered talk about the source of such huge donations.
Prof Kindiki has in the past two months embarked on aggressive tours of the region – perceived hostile against President William Ruto’s administration – dishing out millions under his “economic empowerment programmes”.
Contrasting Realities: Kenyans tighten belts as officials donate millions in Harambees
In the past two months, Prof Kindiki has visited Naivasha in Nakuru County; Kiambu Town, Lari, Gatundu North and Limuru in Kiambu County; Kirinyaga Central and Mwea in Kirinyaga County; Kipipiri and Ol Kalou in Nyandarua County; Imenti in Meru County; Kigumo in Murang’a County and South Mugirango in Kisii County, splashing millions of shillings to boda boda riders, women’s groups as well as churches.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, his National Assembly counterpart Kimani Ichung’wah, National Assembly Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro and Dr Ruto’s personal aide Farouk Kibet have also been running fundraisers across the country, making huge donations.
President William Ruto's personal aide Farouk Kibet (left) and the Leader of Majority in the National Assembly Kimani Ichung’wah donate cash during Interdenominational prayers and thanksgiving service for churches in Malava at Friends Girls Kamang'eti in Kakamega county on April 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Isaac Wale | Nation Media Group
The Nation established that the Deputy President has in the past two months presided over the splashing of donations in excess of Sh100million in the tours.
A senior member of his communication team, who did not want to be quoted, promised to prompt him to respond to the query. He had not responded by the time of going to press. The official said off the record that Prof Kindiki had responded to the money question while at a fundraiser in Kiambu.
“He said he has friends who are willing to support his initiatives. Some of the friends are in the country while others are abroad. He said why not help when friends are willing to chip in,” said the official.
The cynical attitude by some the top Kenya Kwanza leaders towards the burdened taxpayer and the insensitive display of opulence and extravagance in the face of scarcity were at the heart of the June 2024 Gen Z nationwide protests.
President Ruto and some of his allies were seen as arrogant and not averse to displaying opulence through their dressing and vehicles, houses – and often contributing huge wads of notes at fundraisers. The siege forced the President to propose a ban on harambees by state officers.
“The Attorney General is hereby directed to prepare and submit legislation to this effect and develop a mechanism for structured and transparent contribution for public, charitable and philanthropic purposes,” Ruto said on July 5.
The Public Fundraising Appeals Bill, 2024, however, faced resistance in the Senate. Sensing defeat at the second reading stage of the Bill, Mr Cheruiyot, invoked Standing Order No.66 (3) of the Senate that allows the request for putting off a question to a later date.
But it seems huge donations targeting ‘hustlers’, groups generally typified as boda boda, the unemployed youths and mama mboga (grocers) are back. In some of the events, Prof Kindiki is a companied by Principal Secretaries, who also make their contributions.
Known to be a reserved politician, Prof Kindiki has in the past week earned himself the moniker ‘Mr Moneybags’ from some Kenyans for splashing millions of shillings to various groups.
The DP is, however, not new to extravagance and donation of big monies. When he served as the Senate Majority Leader during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s tenure, he was a member of the flamboyant “sky team”, which comprised Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who was then his deputy in the senate. The team criss-crossed the country in choppers.
On Thursday, he was in Etago in South Mugirango for yet another “economic empowerment” engagement for small scale traders’ saccos hosted by Mr Osoro. He made a Sh2 million personal donation and another Sh3 million from President Ruto. Prof Kindiki flew to Kisii from Kakamega. He was again set to attend another engagement in Kiambu later in the day.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki (right) converses with President William Ruto’s personal aide Farouk Kibet during an economic empowerment drive in South Mugirango, Kisii County on May 22, 2025.
Photo credit: DPCS
On February 1, 2025, Prof Kindiki donated Sh3 million in aid of Embu boda boda saccos at Runyenjes Stadium, while President Ruto sent Sh5million. Embu County government gave Sh5 million while Cecily Mbarire gave a Sh1 million personal donation.
On May 16, 2025 the DP was in Kigumo constituency where his entourage contributed Sh16 million said to be for uplifting the economically marginalised. He donated Sh5 million while the host, Woman Rep Betty Maina, gave out Sh1 million.
Prof Kindiki said he will seize every available moment to pass by Murang’a County and that “this is only the start, there is more where that came from”.
He said it is part of building President William Ruto’s scorecard that will be used to lobby for a second term in 2027.
In Naivasha, Prof Kindiki and a host of other Kenya Kwanza leaders donated over Sh15 million to various women and youth groups.
He also announced that the county would benefit from construction of at least 17 modern markets out of the 400 being constructed across the country.
The Naivasha donation attracted criticism from area MP Jayne Kihara, an ally of Mr Gachagua, who questioned the source of millions of shillings being dished out by the DP. “We have seen the DP and his cronies going round dishing out cash to a few members of the public in a bid to woo them back to the government,” said Ms Kihara.
In Kirinyaga Central and Mwea in Kirinyaga, over 40 women’s groups were empowered, with more than Sh20 million being splashed by the Deputy President and other leaders present.
Prof Kindiki has been in Mt Kenya region several times in the past one month, rallying small scale traders, boda boda riders and coffee farmers while enumerating the government’s achievements in reviving the economy and improving farmers’ incomes.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki (center) and other leaders join in a dance during an economic empowerment drive in South Mugirango, Kisii County on May 22, 2025.
Photo credit: DPCS
On Friday, the DP is set to visit his predecessor Rigathi Gachagua’s Nyeri backyard on a similar mission in Kieni constituency.
Political pundits now attribute Prof Kindiki’s heightened trips to his efforts to diffuse tensions in government amid a sustained onslaught from Mr Gachagua and the opposition.
“The DP’s advisers carefully mapped his countrywide whirlwind tours in an elaborate strategy to try and win back regions that are falling into the control of political rivals,” explained Prof Tom Nyamache, a political analyst and Turkana University don.
“If you carefully look at the places Prof Kindiki is visiting like Naivasha, Karatina and others, you will realise he is keen to win back the vote-rich regions that Rigathi Gachagua’s lieutenants and the opposition are seeking to take over ahead of the 2027 General Election. He simply wants to appease the regions,” he added.
Lawyer and political analyst Steve Kabita says the Deputy President’s trips are strategically aimed at lobbying support for the government while reassuring support bases that President Ruto is in control.
“The tours are aimed at countering the anti-Kenya Kwanza government wave and rallying some specific regions behind President Ruto,amid sustained onslaught by former DP Rigathi Gachagua ,” said Mr Kabita.
Ringfence political bases
“Prof Kindiki is simply on an offensive to ringfence the Kenya Kwanza administration’s political bases and attempt to penetrate territories currently controlled by rivals, especially after the falling-out between President Ruto and his erstwhile deputy Rigathi Gachagua,”added Mr Kabita.
Apart from the empowerment programmes, Prof Kindiki has also been touring other places for engagement meetings and attending church services.
“We have agreed with other leaders that if I visit other parts of Kenya once, I must come to this region twice. I will keep coming here because my work is to assist the President in pushing the development agenda across the country. Be ready to see me here in Meru often because this is also part of Kenya,” DP Kindiki said.
He has particularly been emphasising on the government’s input in improving coffee, tea and milk earnings – which are the mainstay of Mt Kenya region’s economy.
At Mr Gachagua’s Mathira backyard, Mr Ichung’wah led about 15 Members of Parliament where they raised about Sh15 million for women and youth groups from across the constituency.
But the initiative has set Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi on a collision path with Mr Gachagua and his allies.
Mr Cheruiyot had on May 16 also attended two fundraisers in his Kericho backyard and Migori. In Migori, he handed over a Sh5 million donation by President Ruto for boda boda groups, while in Kericho he helped pay driving license fees for 200 youth.
However, opposition leaders have questioned the source of the millions of shillings being dished out by DP Kindiki through the economic empowerment programmes.
Mr Gachagua has dismissed the grassroots economic empowerment programmes as acts of political conmanship.
“I have seen people going round carrying lots of taxpayers’ money and distributing foodstuff to our people. This is a futile attempt to entice them to support the government. This is money that is supposed to help in educating our children. This is political conmanship and will not work,” said Mr Gachagua.
“All that money is supposed to be a bribe for the people to support the government at the expense of good roads, well paid healthcare staff, well-funded university education, clean water and sanitation for millions, improved power connectivity and an end to back-breaking taxation,” said Mr Muriu, an ally of Mr Gachagua.
Mr Zack Kinuthia, a political analyst and an ally of Mr Gachagua, while speaking on Inooro TV on Monday night, termed the so-called empowerment programmes an insult to the hard-working people of Mt Kenya. “What is happening in Mt Kenya region right now is a disgrace. Giving our people food handouts is demeaning our people who are hard-working,” he said.
But Mr Wamumbi has dismissed Mr Gachagua for opposing the programme he terms transformative. “It's quite unfortunate that a person of his stature can castigate true grassroots transformation of our people just because it does not serve his political interests,” Mr Wamumbi stated.
Reporting by Eric Matara, Stephen Munyiri, David Muchui, Mwangi Muiruri, and George Munene
