Linturi likens Ruto administration to notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar
By Kenneth Mwenda, June 7, 2025In a bold and controversial statement, former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary and Meru Senator Mithika Linturi has compared President William Ruto’s government to the notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
“Ile siasa ambayo Mweshimiwa Ruto anachezea nchi hii, ni siasa ambayo unaeza kusoma kwa kitabu ya mtu aliyekuwa anaitwa Pablo Escobar. Ya kwamba upore inchi alafu unaenda pia ukipeana pesa ndogo ndogo ukisema ni empowerment unafanya, ilhali hayo yote unafanya ni mambo ya ufisadi,” Linturi didn’t hold back, speaking passionately in Swahili on Saturday, June 7, 2025.
In English, this translates to: “The politics that Honourable Ruto is playing with this country is the kind you can read about in a book about a man called Pablo Escobar. It’s about plundering the nation and then going around distributing small amounts of money, calling it empowerment, while all of it is just corruption.”
The remarks were made during a political tour in Voi, where Linturi was joined by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, and other opposition figures.
Opposition unites against Ruto
Gachagua, a key figure in the tour, also had warned that Ruto’s leadership could face a very strong opposition in 2027, particularly in areas like Central Kenya.
Musyoka, a seasoned politician, also criticised Ruto’s empowerment programmes.
The opposition leaders called for unity among Kenyans to hold the government accountable for issues like corruption, abductions, and economic challenges.
The coastal tour was a strategic move by opposition leaders to challenge Ruto’s influence in regions traditionally opposed to his United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Linturi, who recently resigned from UDA, accused the party of tolerating corruption and ignoring the rule of law.
His decision to join forces with Gachagua and Musyoka signals a growing rift with Ruto, whom he previously supported during the 2022 elections.