‘You’re a petty thief!’ Ruto claims Gachagua was fired as DO for stealing food from the hungry
By Ascah Mwango, February 12, 2026The political divorce between President William Ruto and his former deputy Rigathi Gachagua appears to have reached a point of no return, as blistering verbal assaults between the two leaders appear to be the new norm.
During a high-tension tour of Mandera County on Thursday, February 12, 2026, the President did not just dismiss Gachagua’s criticisms; he questioned his very moral core in a savage public takedown.
In a scathing verbal assault, Ruto branded his former second-in-command a ‘petty thief’ who has lost all authority to lecture the nation on hunger.
The confrontation follows a week of biting criticism from Gachagua, who accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of ‘presiding over the deaths’ of Northern Kenyans by underfunding the drought response.
The most explosive moment of the tour came when Ruto, flanked by his new Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, dug into Gachagua’s controversial past as a District Officer (DO) during the Moi administration.
For years, rumours have swirled regarding Gachagua’s exit from the civil service, but the President has now weaponised those allegations as fact.
“You’re the last person, the least qualified, with no moral authority to tell anybody anything on matters of food relief because you’re a petty thief,” Ruto fired off to a stunned audience.
The President’s allies, including Kindiki and Health CS Aden Duale, claimed that Gachagua was unceremoniously sacked decades ago for siphoning off relief food intended for vulnerable families – the exact crime he is now accusing the current government of mismanaging.
Ruto further mocked Gachagua’s recent street activism.
Since his historic impeachment, the former DP has been a fixture at impromptu rallies, leading supporters in chants of ‘Kasongo must go’ – a derogatory reference to the President.
Ruto dismissed these efforts as the antics of a man with too much time on his hands
“I see him roaming the streets, shouting slogans and acting like an idler. While we are here delivering NYOTA funds and connecting power, he is busy looking for cameras to spread lies because he has no plan for the people,” Ruto told the Mandera crowd.
Not one to stay silent, Gachagua issued a defiant response from Nairobi just hours later. Dismissing a challenge from CS Aden Duale to a debate on Northern development, Gachagua made it clear he is only interested in the “top prize.”
“I do not debate with employees. I will not engage underlings. I am only available for one debate: the presidential debate in 2027 between Mr. William Ruto and me. His employees should help him prepare talking notes early enough,” Gachagua stated on his social media platforms.
Gachagua remains steadfast that the government’s Ksh4 billion allocation for 3.3 million starving Kenyans is a mockery, noting that it falls far below the United Nations’ recommended minimum food basket.
However, with the President now labelling him a common food thief, the 2027 campaign cycle has begun with the gloves not just off, but shredded.