President William Ruto has, for the first time, opened up on how his former Deputy Rigathi Gachagua used to blackmail the Members of Parliament (MPs).
Speaking on Monday, March 31, 2025, during an interview with Mt Kenya media houses ahead of his development tour of the region, Ruto said that the blackmail led to the fallout between Gachagua and the MPs, leading to his impeachment.
According to Ruto, Gachagua used to threaten the MPs to worship him, failure to which they would lose their jobs as legislators.
Gachagua, Ruto said, had given the MPs a December 2024 deadline to start bowing to his demands lest they lose their jobs, but the lawmakers decided to fight back, thus impeaching him before December 2024.
“Nikamwabia (Rigathi Gachagua) tufanye kazi ya Wakenya, tuwache hii makesi kidogo kidogo. Ndio huyu yeye ameanza vita na Wabunge, hao wabunge wenye kumuondoa Bunge. Kabla ya Desemba msiponipigia magoti mtaenda nyumbani. Wabunge wakasema kabla Desemba sisi tutakushughulikia. Vita mwenyewe ameanzisha na wabunge,” Ruto said.
Ruto went ahead to claim that the blackmail extended to him, with Gachagua demanding Ksh10 billion to streamline the Mt Kenya region so that the head of state does not become a one term president.
Ruto said he refused to bow to the demand, and subsequently leading to his fallout with Gachagua.
“Wabunge wakaanza vita kwa sababu wameambiwa wasipopiga magoti, wataenda nyumbani. Ikafika mahali nikaelezana na huyu bwana apunguze vita na hawa watu wote. Ikanifikia mimi, unajua mimi (Rigathi) naweza kukufanya one term president, nahitaji bilioni kumi ndio niende niongee na watu wa mlimani nikupangie siasa. I said I will not do it. Kama wewe ndio kuamua one term, amua vile unataka,” he said.
