Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has spoken out about his strained relationship with President William Ruto's aide Farouk Kibet.
Speaking on Monday, April 7, Gachagua dismissed claims that Farouk holds a minor role in government, arguing that he is more than just an assistant.
The former DP claimed that Ruto himself gives instructions to Cabinet Secretaries through Farouk instead of using formal channels.
Additionally, he claimed that powerful government officials including the Inspector General of Police and the Head of Public Service report to Farouk.
"Ruto said I was fighting Farouk Kibet. Farouk Kibet is not a small man, he is a co-president of this country. Farouk Kibet runs the government; everybody reports to him: the Inspector General of Police, the Head of Public Service, and Cabinet Secretaries. William Ruto issues instructions to Cabinet ministers through Farouk Kibet. Ministers tremble at his very sight," he said.
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In an interview on Monday, March 31, Ruto revealed Gachagua's political battles with junior government officials including blogger Dennis Itumbi and Farouk.
The President revealed that the former DP'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.
“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.
