Kenya: No Evidence Kenya's National Assembly Speaker Criticised President Ruto Over Former Deputy's Impeachment

5 February 2026
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Dancan Bwire

No evidence Kenya's national assembly speaker criticised president Ruto over former deputy's impeachment

IN SHORT: According to a graphic circulating online, Moses Wetang'ula, said the chances of president William Ruto being re-elected in 2027 were slim after the axing of Rigathi Gachagua as deputy president. However, the graphic is fabricated.

A graphic circulating on social media features a controversial quote attributed to Moses Wetang'ula, the speaker of Kenya's national assembly.

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According to the graphic, Wetang'ula said the impeachment of former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua was a political blunder that would likely lead to president William Ruto losing the 2027 general election.

The quote reads: "Impeaching Gachagua was a political blunder of epic proportions. I warned against it, but the President chose to listen to misguided advisors. Yes, Gachagua had started to become a thorn in the flesh, but it was a thorn that should have been tolerated until 2027 for the sake of the President's re-election. As a result of the impeachment, Ruto's path to re-election is now an uphill battle."

Wetang'ula has been a close ally of Ruto and worked towards his 2022 election victory. Wetang'ula hails from Bungoma county, western Kenya, which is widely considered his political backyard. The county overwhelmingly voted for Ruto, earning Wetang'ula the speaker of the national assembly seat.

Ruto chose Gachagua as his running mate in the 2022 elections, and the pair won. But they soon fell out, leading to Gachagua's impeachment in October 2024.

Gachagua hails from the vote-rich Mount Kenya region, which comprises areas in central Kenya traditionally inhabited by the Kikuyu, Embu and Meru communities. He has since grown into one of Ruto's staunch critics and is working to deny him votes from the region.

The graphic has been posted widely on social media.

But are the remarks on it to be trusted? We checked.

No evidence

As the country's national assembly speaker, Wetang'ula is closely followed by local media, which extensively reports on his political remarks. Such controversial comments from him would have likely made headlines, sparking widespread debate. However, no reliable sources have reported them.

Wetang'ula often uses his verified social media accounts, including Facebook and X, to speak his mind on politics and governance. But we found no trace of such comments on his accounts.

Instead, hours after the graphic emerged, he asked the public to support Ruto's re-election bid.

All evidence suggests the remarks are fabricated and should be disregarded.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. X @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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