In an explosive and lengthy prime-time exclusive interview with Jesse Rogers on KTN News Television, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua launched a scathing and far-reaching attack against his former boss, President William Ruto, accusing him of betrayal, political manipulation, and economic misconduct.
The two-hour interview, which was dubbed Wamunyoro Chronicles, aired on the evening of April 7, 2025, opened a Pandora’s box of accusations that could have profound implications for Kenya’s political landscape.
A Relationship Turned Sour
Once close allies, Gachagua and Ruto ran on a united ticket in 2022, with the former DP playing a key role in mobilizing support across the Mt. Kenya region. However, the relationship appears to have deteriorated dramatically since then.
Gachagua claimed that President Ruto orchestrated his impeachment, bribing Members of Parliament with KSh 500,000 each and senators with up to KSh 10 million to ensure the motion’s passage.
“It is the worst-kept secret in this country,” Gachagua said, insisting that the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki played central roles in the plan.
Allegations of Bribery and Political Scheming
One of the most startling claims was that Ruto offered Gachagua between KSh 1.5 to 2 billion as a form of severance after asking him to resign.
Gachagua says he declined the offer, adding that the president later sent a senior official multiple times to negotiate his exit.
The former deputy president revealed that, contrary to his personal ethics, he recorded the conversations for his safety and future disclosure.
He also dismissed President Ruto’s claims that he demanded KSh 10 billion to manage Mt. Kenya politics, calling it a fabricated narrative intended to damage his reputation.
“One day it was KSh 6.5 billion, the next it was KSh 8 billion, and then the President said KSh 10 billion. They should at least agree on one lie,” he said.
Power Behind the Throne?
Gachagua painted a troubling picture of how the government is allegedly being run, claiming that influential presidential aides Farouk Kibet and Dennis Itumbi wield unchecked power.
He described Kibet as a “co-president” who issues orders to Cabinet Secretaries and even interfered with Gachagua’s own official appointments.
“Farouk was collecting money from people, promising access to me. I had to confront the President directly about it,” he recounted.
▶️Watch the First Part of the Interview Below:
Cabinet Manipulation and Regional Marginalization
According to Gachagua, President Ruto betrayed pre-election agreements by disproportionately favoring his own ethnic community in key appointments.
He cited the retention of five Principal Secretaries from Ruto’s Rift Valley base, saying this undermined the promised representation for Mt. Kenya. “My ministers felt like flower girls,” he lamented.
He also accused the President of systematically removing Mt. Kenya leaders from government, including Moses Kuria, whom Gachagua described as “one of our brightest minds.”
The former DP questioned the rationale behind Kuria’s dismissal and the recent legal proceedings that led to the auctioning of his property, suggesting political retribution.
Allegations of Corruption and Money Laundering
Gachagua leveled serious allegations concerning high-level corruption within Ruto’s administration. He claimed that the much-publicized 15-billion tree-planting initiative was actually a front for a money laundering operation.
According to him, the plan involved bypassing the Treasury to channel USD 1 billion through the Ministry of Environment—a plan he says collapsed after then-CS Justin Muturi refused to authorize it.
In an international twist, Gachagua accused President Ruto of being involved in illicit gold laundering schemes connected to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
He claimed RSF commander Hemedti Dagalo, who is allegedly laundering gold through Nairobi, forged Gachagua’s signature to gain entry into Kenya.
The former deputy president went so far as to say that Ruto is the “real commander of the RSF,” and called on the international community to monitor Kenya closely.
▶️Watch Part 2 of the Wamunyoro Chronicles Below:
Disregard for Human Rights and Rule of Law
The former deputy president expressed deep concern over alleged extrajudicial killings and abductions, especially of young people linked to the Gen Z-led protests against the Finance Bill.
Gachagua said he had raised the issue with the President but was instead accused of inciting the protests. “Children are our flowers—you cannot kill them just because they raised legitimate questions,” he said.
Ruto’s Shifting Narratives Across Regions
Gachagua accused President Ruto of spreading inconsistent narratives about his dismissal depending on regional audiences.
“In Western, I was incompetent; in Eastern, I was divisive; in Nyanza, I was primitive and corrupt,” he noted, highlighting what he described as a campaign to vilify him nationally while covering up political betrayal.
A Transactional Relationship with the Presidency
Despite the bitterness, Gachagua acknowledged that the Mt. Kenya region remains pragmatic about Ruto’s presidency. He described the current relationship with the Head of State as “commercial and transactional.”
According to him, many attendees at the President’s rallies in the region are paid to show up. “He is welcome again in August and December—we need the money for Christmas,” he remarked sarcastically.
Final Words and a Warning
In closing, Gachagua described himself as the only Cabinet-level official who dared to challenge President Ruto, warning that others—including Police IG Japhet Koome and CDF General Kahariri—may be set up for public humiliation and eventual removal. He cautioned them to “stay vigilant.”
He ended the interview on a somber note: “We went into a covenant with the President. I opened my home to him. My wife prayed for him. But as soon as we got into office, the man changed. And all the promises we made were discarded.”
The interview is likely to stir further political tension ahead of the 2027 general elections and raise serious questions about governance, transparency, and the rule of law in Kenya’s current administration.
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