Ruto: Gachagua demanded Ksh10B
President William Ruto on Monday night, March 31, 2025, laid bare his fallout with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who was impeached by the National Assembly and some of the charges upheld by the Senate.
Speaking during a joint media interview at Sagana State Lodge ahead of his much-anticipated weeklong Mt Kenya tour, the head of state revealed that Gachagua demanded Ksh10 billion to help change the tide in the vote-rich central region.
He told the local vernacular stations that Gachagua even threatened to make him a one-term president if he failed to honour his demand.
However, Ruto detailed that he did not heed the demand, leading to the escalating fallout with the former second in command, which he claimed was a culmination of the brewing discord with MPs, his assistant Farouk Kibet, and even digital strategist Dennis Itumbi.
” Ikanifikia mimi, unajua mimi (Rigathi) naweza kukufanya one term president, nahitaji bilioni kumi ndio niende niongee na watu wa mlimani nikupangie siasa. I said I will not do it. Kama wewe ndio kuamua one term, amua vile unataka,” Ruto stated.
Which loosely translates to: ”Gachagua told me that I would be a one-term president if I did not meet certain conditions. He asked for Ksh 10 billion to talk to the Mt Kenya region,” Ruto claimed.
“I told him I would not do it. I told him if it’s one term, it’s okay if you’re the one to decide,” he added.
Attempts to save him
Despite Gachagua making the demand, Ruto told the press that he attempted to save him from impeachment twice. However, his efforts proved futile as MPs had made up their minds and orchestrated his ouster from office.
This is after he held sit-downs with Gachagua and tried to solve some of the issues he raised with MPs and other of his close allies.
“I sat him down and told him you’re the deputy president. Why are you dealing with them? I asked him to let us work,” Ruto explained.
Never defended projects
While hitting at Gachagua, Ruto further claimed that Gachagua never defended government projects during his two-year tenure.
“The Deputy President’s main role is to help the President. When I was DP, the person to defend the programs like roads and hospitals. I went to more TV stations more times than the President himself because it is the DP’s job to profile the President’s work,” Ruto maintained.
