Gachagua declares Ruto presidency four wasted years marred by graft, broken promises

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has delivered his most scathing verdict yet on President William Ruto’s administration, branding the first four years of the Kenya Kwanza government a period of “wasted years” marked by broken promises, economic hardship, corruption and the alleged capture of State institutions.

Gachagua, now the leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), used a 39-page report released this afternoon in a televised address to what he dubbed as a “national statement” on to launch a broadside against his former boss, accusing the president of abandoning the promises that swept him to power in 2022 and turning government into an instrument for political and economic control.

The former Deputy President, who fell out with Ruto before his impeachment and removal from office in October 2024, claimed the administration had concentrated power in the presidency while weakening independent constitutional commissions, state corporations and other public institutions.

“Over the last four years William Ruto has captured the State,” Gachagua said, alleging that the government had centralised control over independent commissions, state entities, public procurement and the disposal of strategic national assets.

He accused the administration of pursuing policies that, in his view, were designed to enrich a small political and business elite at the expense of millions of Kenyans.

Gachagua went further, making a direct and unsubstantiated allegation that Ruto had become a US dollar billionaire since taking office through the alleged looting of public resources.

However, State House had not responded to the claims by the time of going to publication.

“He has achieved the milestone of being certified as a US dollar billionaire in a four-year record courtesy of looting Kenyan public coffers,” Gachagua claimed.

The former Deputy President did not provide evidence in his address to substantiate the allegation.

He also accused the government of presiding over an unprecedented borrowing and corruption crisis, claiming billions of shillings were being borrowed and lost through graft every day.

“This regime on a borrowing spree borrows an average of Sh3.5 billion daily and steals Sh3 billion daily,” he claimed, alleging that the country was losing about Sh125 million every hour.

Gachagua also trained his guns on the government’s flagship affordable housing programme, accusing the administration of turning an election promise into a vehicle for corruption.

He said Ruto had promised to construct 250,000 affordable houses annually but had instead, four years into his presidency, allegedly turned the programme into a conduit for the acquisition of public land and exclusive supply of construction materials.

The DCP leader also raised questions over the performance of Sidian Bank, linking its reported growth to deposits by State institutions and the Nairobi County Government.

He claimed the bank had grown from about Sh42 billion in assets and Sh30 billion in customer deposits in 2022 to a reported Sh95 billion valuation, including Sh74 billion in customer deposits and Sh1.7 billion in net profit for 2025.

Gachagua used the figures to question what he described as a dramatic transformation of the bank after its acquisition by Ruto, but did not provide evidence that the alleged growth was the result of improper State deposits or public resources.

Further, Gachagua attacked the government’s record across key sectors, including healthcare, education, security and social protection.

He described programmes such as the Hustler Fund, Affordable Housing Programme and Social Health Authority as failures that had not delivered the benefits promised to Kenyans.

The former Deputy President accused the administration of incompetence and impunity, arguing that the difficulties facing households were evidence of a government that had lost its way.

His broadside comes as the country moves towards the 2027 General Election, when Ruto is expected to seek a second term and opposition forces are attempting to build a formidable coalition against him.

Gachagua warned that the president’s record would become a central issue in the election campaign, arguing that Ruto should seek re-election on the basis of what his administration has achieved rather than offering Kenyans another set of ambitious promises.

The former allies have since become some of the fiercest political opponents, with Gachagua emerging as a key figure in efforts to challenge the President’s political dominance, particularly in the Mount Kenya region.

His latest attack sets the stage for a potentially bruising 2027 contest in which the economic record of the Kenya Kwanza administration, public debt, corruption allegations, cost of living and delivery of government programmes are likely to dominate political debate.