Editor's Review

What do I gain by going to Nigeria to attend a new president's swearing-in. I'd rather fight illicit brew and substance abuse locally - DP Gachagua.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has broken his silence as regards President William Ruto's delegation of international duties to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

For a while, Mudavadi has been the one representing the president in high-level international assignments, leaving questions on why his deputy has not been featuring in any.

Speaking in an interview with Mt Kenya media houses, the deputy president said he chose not to partake in such engagements on his own volition.

The deputy president revealed that he asked the president to allow him handle local issues including the drug abuse menace that has been eating up youths in the populous Mt Kenya region.

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Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi boarding a plane.

"I see people saying my work has been given to Musalia Mudavadi, that is he is the one going to other countries, while mine is to fight alcohol and drug abuse. Let me tell you, the day I will go abroad I will be going there to pick something reasonable for Kenyans.

What do we gain by going to see a country's president being sworn in. I'm not interested in that. I asked my president to allow me fight this issue of illicit brew and bhang," he said.

Since assuming office alongside Ruto, Rigathi has been confined to the country as Musalia takes over the assignments beyond the Kenyan borders.

Gachagua's last trip out of the country was in April this year when he toured Botswana.

The deputy president was in the Southern African country to grace the 2023 Forbes under 30 summit on behalf of his boss.

World's revered young entrepreneurs from over 40 countries were meeting at the highly publicised summit.

Beside the summit, the deputy president also held bilateral engagements with Botswana's representatives before meeting Kenyans living in the country.

The Botswana trip would be the deputy president's second months after getting into office.

In December last year, Gachagua was in Angola to attend the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, Pacific States (OACPS).

He later held bilateral engagements with European Union representatives before meeting Kenyans residing in Luanda.