Gachagua gives Ruto new nickname
By David Nthua, August 26, 2025Former Deputy President and the Democracy for Citizens’ Party Leader Rigathi Gachagua has given President William Ruto a new nickname, “Master of Narratives.”
Speaking during an interview with a local TV station on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, Gachagua claimed that the issue of a tribal agenda was not his creation but rather a political tool used against him by Ruto.
According to Gachagua, his fallout with the head of state was quickly turned into a justification strategy before Kenyans.
“Narratives are created in this country, and my former boss, William Ruto, is a master of narratives,” Gachagua said.
“He had a lot of nice things to say about me when we were getting along, but the minute we fell out, he labelled me as a tribalist so that he could justify to Kenyans why, after I helped to make him President, he hounded me out of office.”
The former deputy president noted that such narratives have been consistently used in Kenya’s politics to discredit individuals and turn public opinion against them.
He further stated that Ruto’s move was deliberate and meant to weaken his standing both in Mt Kenya and nationally.
Fallout with Ruto
Gachagua explained that while he once worked closely with the president, the relationship collapsed almost immediately after the 2022 general election victory.
The “tribalist” tag, he argued, was not only crafted because of his personal beliefs but also as part of a narrative to rationalise his exclusion from government.
He insisted that his push for the interests of the Mt Kenya region was always misunderstood and misrepresented.
The label, he said, was part of Ruto’s calculated design to eliminate him from the political scene and brand him negatively before Kenyans.
Despite the accusations, Gachagua maintained that his record speaks for itself, noting that he had consistently called for unity and inclusivity even at the peak of his working relationship with Ruto.
The remarks add to the growing wave of statements by Gachagua, who has been openly criticising Ruto’s administration after falling out with the Kenya Kwanza government.