President William Ruto during a joint media engagement at Sagana State Lodge, Nyeri County, on March 31, 2025.
President William Ruto last night revealed behind-the-scenes intrigues that led to the impeachment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, claiming his former deputy demanded to be paid Sh10 billion even as he picked incessant quarrels with MPs and government officials that made it difficult to work with him.
In an interview with vernacular stations ahead of his five-day tour of the Mount Kenya region, President Ruto claimed that he saved Mr Gachagua from impeachment two times before he gave up and allowed MPs to proceed with his removal from office.
The President also revealed how Central Kenya MPs had in May 2022 rejected Mr Gachagua as his running mate in the presidential race. He recounted that only five MPs voted in support of Mr Gachagua against 27 who favoured Prof Kithure Kindiki.
After they were elected and assumed office, President Ruto claimed that Mr Gachagua opened political battles with MPs from the region, demanding to be recognised as the Mt Kenya political kingpin. He cited instances where he had to intervene after Mr Gachagua opened fights with junior officials, including the President’s Personal Assistant, Farouk Kibet and blogger Dennis Itumbi.
“He became a perennial complainant, accusing everyone of undermining him, even junior people like blogger Itumbi, Farouk and MP Ndindi Nyoro. I told him, let’s stop these petty cases and work for the people,” said President Ruto. “I sat down with Gachagua and told him, my friend, stop these fights. He then asked for Sh10 billion from me or else he would make me a one-term president. I refused to be blackmailed.”
He also accused Gachagua of failing to defend the government's agenda.
“When I was DP (under President Uhuru Kenyatta), I would go to TV stations and profile government achievements ... for two years, Gachagua never defended or articulated the Kenya Kwanza government development agenda. I asked him to defend affordable housing, universal health care, etc, but he didn’t,” said the President.
Impeachment
The President last visited the Central Kenya region in August 2024, two months before Mr Gachagua was ousted in October. The impeachment was a culmination of the duo’s bitter political divorce that has since triggered major political realignments, including a formal political deal between President Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
The five-day tour of the region also comes barely days after the President fired Justin Muturi as Public Service Cabinet secretary over his sustained criticism of the Kenya Kwanza administration, especially over claims of state-instigated abductions of perceived government critics.
President William Ruto during a joint media engagement at Sagana State Lodge, Nyeri County, on March 31, 2025.
“I gave Muturi the job of AG but he said he was uncomfortable since he had not practised law for a long time. But I still forced him into that position. I later gave him the job of a CS but he boycotted Cabinet meetings. Am I the one who sacked him or is the one who refused to work?” asked the President last night.
“I am a person who believes in giving people a second chance. That is why I gave Muturi a second chance. I also gave Gachagua a second chance ...sometimes people are misjudged. It’s not the end of the road for Muturi, he has a very good pension,” he added.
The President’s allies from the region have been working around the clock to calm the masses ahead of the tour that will kick off in Laikipia and Nyeri counties today and end in Tharaka-Nithi on Friday. He will be in Rumuruti in Laikipia West, Nanyuki in Laikipia East and Narumoru in Kieni, Nyeri, in his first leg of the tour. MPs Mwangi Kiunjuri (Laikipia East), Wachira Karani (Laikipia West) and Jane Kagiri (Woman Rep) are actively involved in mobilising residents to ensure President Ruto is accorded a rousing welcome on the first day of his tour.
In Parliament, some of Dr Ruto’s close allies during his 2022 campaigns were recently kicked out of committee leadership positions for perceived close ties with Mr Gachagua, exacerbating political hostility in the region.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, who was the chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, his Kipipiri counterpart Wanjiku Muhia, (Regional Integration Committee), Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba (Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee) and Embakasi North’s James Gakuya (Trade, Industry and Co-operatives) were removed from their positions.
For close to seven months, President Ruto has avoided the region that swept him to power by handing him close to three million votes. In the run-up to the 2022 elections, Dr Ruto enjoyed the fanatical backing of the region.
Locals rejected then President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was backing Mr Odinga for the presidency, and threw their weight behind Dr Ruto. The 10 Mt Kenya counties and the seven from North Rift collectively handed Dr Ruto 4.5 million votes, translating to 63 per cent of his total votes of 7,176,141.
Truth
“We have since realised that Uhuru told us the truth about him. He warned us but we did not listen. But I can tell you that they are now more clever. Even if he camps in the region for months, it would not change anything,” Embakasi Central MP Benjamin Gathiru, a close ally of Mr Gachagua, told the Nation.
In the last couple of months, Dr Ruto’s attempts to use some of his close allies to pass his messages to the region have, in some instances, been met with open hostility. Some of his known close allies have also avoided public rallies over fears of being jeered, with Mr Gachagua labelling them traitors, especially the MPs who voted for his impeachment.
In January, Mr Muturi was shouted down by mourners when he was preparing to read President Ruto’s message during the burial of Eric Mutugi, son of former Embu Senator Lenny Kivuti. On October 11, when the impeachment of Mr Gachagua had already been initiated, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika was also heckled by mourners when she tried to convey the President’s message of condolence.
Apart from the impeachment, the region has also become hostile over claims of unfulfilled promises. Dr Ruto rode to power on lofty promises to create jobs for millions of unemployed youths and bring down the cost of living.
Kirinyaga Senator James Murango, another close ally of Mr Gachagua, said the President must address the agricultural needs of the region if his visit is to mean anything. The senator said that the government has not paid enough attention to the problems faced by coffee, rice, tea, and macadamia farmers in the region. He pointed out that President Ruto must speak to some new changes being proposed by the National Treasury on the coffee sector that could erode gains made through reforms spearheaded by Mr Gachagua.
Having ascended into office after making many promises in the midst of several stalled projects, President Ruto has had a hard time making himself believable. This has seen him encounter rebellious crowds, such as in Isiolo, where youth responded to him with “uongo” (lies) chants.
But during the Mt Kenya tour, the President will only focus on projects that have a high probability of being completed in the near future, the Nation has learnt. He is also expected to avoid making promises on projects whose work is yet to be rolled out.
“During our recent meeting with the President, we tersely advised him against giving any promises during the trip. We also tasked him to ensure that all the promises he made last year are implemented. The government must be seen to be working,” said a politician who spoke on condition of anonymity.
To avert pronounced public opposition, the President’s tour has been carefully planned to avoid hotspots of resistance.
“It is not in the culture of Mt Kenya residents to heckle a president. The only concern is that the Gen Z are going against this tradition and may try to make noise,” Prof Gitile Naituli said, adding that the disquiet emanates from the administration’s failure to complete many projects more than two years later.
“The President is yet to have any tangible project in the region. He has very little to show. What he is doing is political mobilisation because the election is two years away,” he said.
But Tigania West MP John Mutunga said a majority of the promises made by the President in his constituency last year were being fulfilled.
“Contrary to claims by our political opponents, every pledge made by the President is being worked on. For instance, in Tigania West, he promised a Sh150 million market, but work has started for a Sh350 million modern market. Several others are at different stages of implementation,” Mr Mutunga said.
He added: “We bolted out of the Uhuru Kenyatta government because his term was ending. We cannot afford to leave President Ruto’s government now. We need to stay close for development.”
Reporting by David Muchui, Mwangi Ndirangu and George Munene.
