Ruto Dismisses Journalist’s Question on Gachagua’s Mrima Hills Claims

President William Ruto on Thursday, October 1,dismissed a question from a journalist about DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua’s claims regarding niobium deposits at Mrima Hills in Kwale County.

The Head of State was in a roundtable interview at State House, Mombasa, when a journalist asked him to respond to Gachagua’s allegation that the niobium deposits were being sold to an American company.

President Ruto dismissed the question and told the journalist not to bring up Gachagua’s allegations during the interview, describing the former Deputy President as a foolish person. 

“Please don’t ask me about claims of such a foolish person. Let’s talk about something else. He is a complete fool. 

“I am sitting here as the President and you are raising the matters of a madman?” Ruto posed. 

On September 19, Gachagua alleged that President Ruto flew to the US during the United Nations General Assembly to seal a deal with an American company to exploit the high-value minerals. 

The DCP leader claimed that officials of the American company were in Kenya a few weeks ago. 

“His real mission in the US is to seal a deal with the American on how Niobium will be exploited from Kenya. 

“The Americans were in Kenya four weeks ago, and he is now in America to conclude the final deal so that these minerals can be handed over to that American company for exploitation,” Gachagua claimed. 

The former DP said Kenyans risk missing out on the economic benefits of the niobium deposits. 

“The people of Kenya will get zero. All this Ksh8.2 trillion will be split between William Ruto and the American company,” Gachagua alleged.

He threatened to move to court to stop the proposed exploitation of niobium deposits at Mrima Hills. 

Gachagua said he will reach out to lawyers to start preparing the paperwork to challenge the proposed agreement.

“If we have to go to court, we will do so. After this meeting, I will talk to a few lawyers; we will start preparing the paperwork because we can’t allow this to happen,” Gachagua added.