Ruto to Gachagua: You wasted five years in Parliament

President William Ruto has criticised his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, for allegedly wasting five years in parliament when he was serving as the MP for Mathira Constituency.

Ruto and Gachagua have recently engaged in a bitter exchange of words aimed at tainting each other’s reputation.

In his recent fresh allegations, Ruto has said Gachagua wasted time for the people of Mathira Constituency when he represented them in parliament between 2017 and 2022.

Speaking during his tour of Homa Bay County, Ruto said Gachagua performed dismally in parliament.

He said Gachagua served as a one-term MP who neither presented a motion nor a bill during his tenure as the MP for Mathira.

“That man served as a one-term MP, but there is nothing significant he did in parliament. He did not contribute anything during debates, nor did he introduce any bill in Parliament. He wasted five years in parliament,” said Ruto.

He described Gachagua as a man who lacked any track record in Kenya.

The President accused Gachagua of thriving on perpetuating negative ethnicity and discrimination in the country.

“Today, he walks in churches to perpetrate hatred, yet he does not have any track record in this country,” Ruto said.

He described Gachagua as a leader who failed in his responsibilities during his tenure as a deputy president. He argued that Gachagua perpetrated corruption in the coffee sector by extorting farmers, in which he was allegedly demanding Sh3 per kilogramme of coffee from each farmer.

“I gave him the responsibility of looking at the welfare of coffee farmers, but he started demanding Sh3 per kilogram of coffee from each farmer. I also gave him the responsibility to lead the fight against alcohol in Central, but he turned out to be an extortionist,” Ruto said.

The President said Gachagua cannot lead Kenya as the President. He said the incitement which Gachagua perpetrates will not help him.

“He does not have any plan for the future development of this country. I tell that character that he will lead nothing and he will not lead anybody in Kenya,” Ruto added.

He said Kenyans are not ready to support anybody who can con them.

“Let all tribal politicians quit this country because they do not have any space. That tribal man will not get anything in this country,” he added.

The Head of State said the United Opposition will not win the presidency in this country.

He criticised the Opposition leaders as people who do not have an agenda for the leadership of this country.

Ruto described opposition leaders as people who are not good for nothing. He argued that they do not have an agenda for leadership.

“The opposition leaders do not have a track record, vision, agenda, or plan for this country. How can they compete with us?” Ruto asked.

The President criticised the Opposition leader for calling themselves the alternative government.

He said Kenyans want people who can implement development projects which can transform their lives.

“The so-called 'good for nothing opposition' will not go anywhere because they do not have plans for the development of this country. Kenyans are wise and they know that the agenda should be on how to put food on their tables and how their children can go to school,” Ruto said.

ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga said they had decided to work with Ruto over the friendship he had demonstrated.

“We were in the handshake government, where we never saw any development projects. But what Ruto’s government is doing for us is very great and we are working with him,” Wanga said.

The National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the people of Nyanza had found friendship in Ruto’s government.

Mbadi said they had decided to support Ruto for his re-election so that the next President can come from the Nyanza region.

“As the people of Nyanza, we have decided to support President Ruto’s re-election. We are doing this so that a president comes from Nyanza in 2032,” Mbadi said.

Earlier, Ruto attended an inter-denominational prayer at Agoro Sare High School.

He later moved to Oyombe village, where he revived the construction of the Adiedo-Karaboko road that connects Kasipul and Karachuonyo constituencies.

Ruto announced the implementation of various projects, which include the proposed establishment of a fishermen’s rescue centre along the shore of Lake Victoria at Sh250m, purchase of a rescue boat at Sh70m, allocation of Sh2.4 billion for connecting 26,000 households with electricity in the county, among other projects.

Ruto was accompanied by former Homa Bay deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga, Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma, Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo, among other leaders.