Pressure Mounts on Ruto to Explain Rift with Deputy Gachagua

Kenyan President William Ruto is facing growing pressure to publicly explain the reasons behind his fallout with his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua. Allegations against Gachagua, which led to an attempt by parliamentarians to remove him from office, are reportedly not new in Kenya’s political landscape. Many of the actions he is accused of have been commonplace among politicians for years without consequences.
The accusations include government officials receiving contracts, embezzling public funds, accepting bribes from wealthy individuals seeking government tenders, and awarding jobs based on ethnic favoritism. These practices have long plagued Kenya without any serious intervention.
Reports estimate that more than KSh140 billion—approximately 36% of the total funds allocated to county governments—is stolen annually by government officials. According to a recent report by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the amount of bribes paid to secure government jobs has doubled since President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration took office. Currently, a Kenyan seeking employment in the public sector is expected to pay a bribe of at least KSh163,000, while those seeking other government services are forced to pay up to KSh70,000 in bribes.
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The Office of the Auditor General has repeatedly issued reports highlighting the pervasive corruption in both the national and county governments. Corruption has become so entrenched that last year, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu went as far as urging public funds thieves who evade the law to invest the stolen money within Kenya, arguing that this would at least create jobs for Kenyans.
These examples reflect how deeply corruption has spread in every corner of the government. Therefore, the claim by President Ruto’s allies that Gachagua was targeted for removal because he engaged in business with the government has been met with skepticism. Gachagua’s infamous comment comparing the government to a company where only shareholders benefit has also been criticized, though it is not seen as a strong enough reason to remove him from office, especially under the pretext that it divides Kenyans.
Some of Ruto’s own allies have made ethnically insensitive remarks without facing any repercussions. Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that some of the evidence presented in Parliament against Gachagua includes videos of speeches he gave after the Kenya Kwanza leadership had already initiated the process of removing him.
The strained relationship between Gachagua and Ruto’s inner circle reportedly began even before the controversial 2024 Finance Bill, which was ultimately rejected following protests led by the youth, known as Generation Z. This suggests that the root of the tension between Gachagua and President Ruto may go beyond the reasons presented in Parliament.
Kenyans, therefore, are within their rights to demand an explanation from President Ruto about what exactly led him to distance himself from his deputy, Gachagua.
Accusations Against Gachagua
Common Political Practices
Government contracts for personal benefit
Widespread in Kenya’s political history
Misuse of public funds
Regularly documented by the Auditor General
Accepting bribes for government tenders
Common across multiple administrations
Ethnic favoritism in job appointments
A longstanding issue in Kenya’s politics