Nairobi — Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday launched his sharpest attack yet on President William Ruto, accusing him of deceiving voters and presiding over what he described as "the greatest electoral fraud since independence," in remarks that deepen political fractures within the once-solid Mt Kenya voting bloc.
Gachagua, once a key ally of Ruto, was impeached in October 2024 after 281 Members of Parliament voted in favour of a motion citing 11 charges, including corruption.
The fallout fractured the ruling coalition and angered many in the Mt Kenya region, which overwhelmingly backed Ruto in the 2022 presidential election.
Gachagua who now leads Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) accused Ruto of using religion and populist theatrics to win over voters before abandoning those commitments once in office.
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"He[President William Ruto] came with the Holy Bible and tears. He sang all vernacular songs. He memorized all vernacular greetings across the Country. He spoke in tongues," Gachagua said.
"He conned all of us. Being Christians, we all fell for his antics and gave him our votes.
Gachagua said Ruto abandoned the image that helped propel him to power and instead oversaw widespread abuses and economic hardship singling out cases of abductions, plunder of public resources and sale of strategic public assets.
He went on to accuse the government of undermining public services and burdening workers.
"He destroyed the education system, made a mockery of our health system and refused to settle pending bills. He raided the payslips making the working-class beggars in their own country."
Gachagua renewed his criticism of Kenya's security policy and the deployment of police officers abroad.
Turning to Ruto's renewed engagement with churches, Gachagua alleged the president was attempting to regain moral legitimacy through staged displays of faith.
"Cornered and exposed by the church, HE is BACK with trickery treachery. Knowing that genuine Christians cannot buy his antics, he has become very imaginative and extremely creative at the altar; ferry goons and cheer leaders to churches using school buses," he alleged.
"Pat them a thousand bob each. Increase church donations from Kshs. 2M to Kshs. 20M."
For the congregation to "look organic", Gachagua claimed that President Ruto has acquired head gears and dresses for all denominations including, Woman's Guild, Mothers Union and Mothers Council.
The DCP leader further alleged that the new ploy "is done on agreement with greedy some Bishops who are not even preaching but campaigning."
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He added that some major denominations had resisted what he termed political manipulation of worship.
"I am glad this shame cannot be entertained in the Catholic Church, PCEA and ACK as well as several Pentecostals and Evangelicals."
Gachagua concluded his remarks with a warning about what he portrayed as a desperate leadership clinging to power.
"The Man has destroyed our Beautiful Kenya and he is now promising us an imaginary Singapore!"
Gachagua's comments come at a time of the widening rift between President Ruto and a region that was once the backbone of his electoral support, raising fresh questions about political realignments ahead of Kenya's next election cycle.
