Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has seemingly acknowledged a rift between himself and President William Ruto, particularly as he remains silent amid ongoing insults from the Head of State’s supporters.
In a candid interview with Citizen TV on Friday, Gachagua highlighted a recurring trend where his office faces criticism from Ruto’s allies. He drew parallels to the time Ruto served as Deputy President under former President Uhuru Kenyatta during the Jubilee administration.
Gachagua also referenced Ruto’s campaign promise from 2022, in which he vowed not to allow his deputy to be belittled in the same manner he experienced under Uhuru’s leadership.
“Very many deputy presidents are fought. It is an unfortunate situation. Given an opportunity, I would not allow my deputy president to be humiliated the way former deputy presidents have been humiliated and the way I have been humiliated,” Ruto said in an interview on Citizen TV in April 2021.
Gachagua, however, now appears to suggest that Ruto has gone back on his promise, pointing out that he started encountering significant opposition from the President’s allies as early as the second year of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
“It looks like there’s a jinx around the office of the deputy president. President Ruto had a very rough time to work with former President Uhuru Kenyatta. But at least he had five years to work very well without any disturbance, I have only done one year, and what is happening to me is worse than what happened to Ruto,” Gachagua said.
“President Ruto gave a promise when he was complaining about the way he was prosecuted, demeaned, mistreated, and harassed. He committed that under his watch if they elect him as President, his deputy would not be diminished, harassed, disrespected or prosecuted.”
“I think my President owes that to the people of Kenya…to honour it, so that he can win the trust of Kenyans. It requires no financing, or urging, it’s a commitment he gave to me, my wife, and my children when he asked me to be his running mate.”
