Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has made a surprising reversal on his earlier assertion that President William Ruto’s administration inherited an “empty” treasury upon taking office in 2022. In a candid interview on Friday, Gachagua admitted that although the country’s economy was under strain, there were enough resources available to keep the government running.
“To some extent, yes, the coffers were not overflowing there wasn’t surplus or real abundance but there was enough to get the country back on its feet,” Gachagua stated. His comments stand in stark contrast to his previous remarks during the Kenya Kwanza swearing-in ceremony, where he described inheriting a “dilapidated economy” with a ballooning Ksh.10 trillion public debt.
The former deputy president also opened up about internal frustrations within the Ruto administration. He painted a picture of a government where all power is centralised around the president, leaving other leaders, including ministers and his own office, with limited influence.
“I couldn’t do anything because the administration of William Ruto is led by Ruto, implemented by Ruto, and overseen by Ruto everything revolves around him,” he remarked, lamenting the lack of autonomy for other senior government officials.
Gachagua further criticised the ongoing cabinet reshuffles, calling them a distraction from the deeper problem of over-centralised governance. “Out of the 22 ministers appointed in the first government, 13 have been shown the door yet nothing has changed,” he said. “The problem is not the ministers; it is the president, because he does everything in this country.”
He also took aim at the president’s advisory structure, claiming that despite having the largest number of advisors, Ruto remains a one-man show. “The president advises his advisors on how to advise him,” he quipped.
Gachagua’s remarks mark a significant departure from his previous stance, raising questions about unity within Kenya Kwanza and the effectiveness of the current leadership model in addressing Kenya’s governance and economic challenges.
