President William Ruto and his former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have engaged in a heated exchange, trading accusations and insults as political tensions continue to build ahead of the August 2027 General Election.
The latest confrontation began when Ruto, while addressing residents in Nyangori, Nyamira County, accused Gachagua of extorting money from business people and political aspirants seeking his support.
The President branded the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader a “chief extortionist”, claiming that he had turned political engagements into opportunities to demand money.
“Wewe ndiye chief extortionist, umefukuzwa kazi kwa sababu ya extortion. Umeangaisha wafanyabiashara na extortion, umeangaisha candidate wa chama chako na extortion. Kila mtu akija kwako ni lazima atoe pesa,” Ruto said.
Gachagua responded in a statement posted on his social media platforms, referring to the President as “Mr Six Months” and accusing him of lying to Kenyans.
“Mr 6 Months, your lies and deception can no longer fool the people of Kenya. Not a minute more, ndugu,” Gachagua wrote.
The former Deputy President said he had challenged Ruto over what he described as attempts to mislead residents of the Gusii region during his political engagements in Kisii and Nyamira counties.
Gachagua claimed that he already knew the message the President would deliver during his visits, accusing him of relying on an old political strategy of memorising village and road names to win over voters.
He described the approach as a tired script that Ruto had used during the 2022 General Election.
According to Gachagua, the President had failed to deliver development projects to the region in the four years since taking office.
“In four years, Ruto has done nothing for them. No roads, no water, no electricity, no airport, nothing. ZERO!” he stated.
“All you have are more lies and handouts. RiggyG is not a road in Kisii or Nyamira. Rigathi is not a water project. Gachagua is not an airport. The truthful man is not a rural electrification project,” Gachagua added.
He further accused Ruto of repeatedly launching the same projects without delivering them, citing a cancer hospital that he claimed the President had launched several times.
“I am sorry you have nothing to tell my cousins. Maybe you should re-launch the cancer hospital you have launched five times, two of them in my presence,” he said.
The DCP leader also warned Ruto against interfering with candidates seeking political seats under his party, invoking a previous political confrontation in Ol Kalou.
“Leave DCP aspirants alone, or you will get another egg in the face, just like when you tried to con the widow and children of my late brother, Governor Gachagua. I told you in advance that I would teach you real politics,” he stated.
Gachagua described what he called the “half dose” he administered to Ruto in Ol Kalou as a rehearsal for a bigger political confrontation ahead of the 2027 elections.
He threatened to replicate the Ol Kalou political strategy across all 290 constituencies, saying his party would mobilise voters against the President.
“I am preparing the full dose to administer intravenously on August 10, 2027. You will not believe the lethargy. It will be cruel, fast and furious,” he said.
“We shall apply a double Olkalou template in all 290 constituencies across the country. You will have no escape route to rig the elections, intimidate any public servant, or misuse our police service or any state agency.”
Gachagua further claimed that public servants were dissatisfied with the government over their salaries and access to medical care, predicting that they would express their frustration through the ballot.
He concluded by predicting Ruto’s defeat in the 2027 General Election and promising that the President would leave State House.
“You shall vacate State House in shame and humiliation. That is my promise to you and the country! Adios!” he wrote.
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