President William Ruto has claimed that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua attempted to blackmail him by demanding Ksh10 billion to secure political support in the Mt. Kenya region.
Speaking during an interview on Monday, March 31, Ruto stated that Gachagua turned his battles toward him after clashing with Members of Parliament (MPs).
He claimed that Gachagua threatened him with a one-term presidency if he could not pay up the requested amount of money.
"At some point, I told Rigathi Gachagua to stop fighting the MPs but he now shifted his fights to me, claiming that he could make me a one-term president if I did not meet his demands. He demanded Ksh10 billion so that he could go talk with the people of the Mt. Kenya region, but I told him I would not do it.
"I told him that if I would only serve for one term then there is no problem. I told him if he is the one who decides who will serve how many terms then he was at liberty to make that decision," he said.
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Speaking during the same interview, Ruto revealed Gachagua's political battles with individuals holding minor roles in government, including blogger Dennis Itumbi and his personal assistant Farouk Kibet.
The Head of State said that Gachagua’s conflicts began soon after the 2022 elections, forcing him to intervene.
“After the elections, we started working. However, not long after that, Rigathi Gachagua started having cases with, among others, blogger Dennis Itumbi, Farouk Kibet, and MPs Ndindi Nyoro and Kimani Ichung'wah. I had to ask him, ‘You are a Deputy President; why are you fighting with people holding small roles such as a blogger and a personal assistant?" he posed.
According to Ruto, he advised Gachagua to focus on serving the nation instead of engaging in unnecessary conflicts.
However, he noted that the former Deputy President escalated his confrontations, shifting his focus to MPs who ended up impeaching him.
“I asked him to stop fighting and work for Kenyans, but not long after, he started fighting with Members of Parliament (MPs). He told the MPs that if they don’t ‘kneel’ before him by December, they will all not be elected in the next elections. These MPs are politicians, and after those threats, they decided to go after him and impeach him," he added.
