Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto of prioritising personal wealth over national leadership, in some of his sharpest remarks yet against the man he once campaigned alongside.
Speaking during an interview on Omega TV on Wednesday while on a tour of the United Kingdom, Gachagua claimed that President Ruto once privately told him he intended to become wealthier than the families of former presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi combined.
“The president came to look for wealth, and in the process, he has destroyed the country,” Gachagua said during the interview.
“He told me that within five years he wanted to be richer than the Kenyatta and Moi families combined.” Gachagua did not provide evidence to support the claims, and President Ruto has not publicly responded to the remarks.
The comments mark another escalation in the growing fallout between the two leaders, whose political alliance helped secure victory in the 2022 General Election before relations dramatically deteriorated.
Gachagua claimed that Ruto had already achieved that ambition “within four years”, though he argued it had come at the expense of the country’s economy and public welfare. “Today, it is true that he is richer than both families, but in the process, he has destroyed everything,” he alleged.
The former deputy president, who now leads the Democracy for the Citizens Party, said many politicians enter office seeking personal enrichment rather than public service. “Leadership is a calling and not a ladder to wealth,” he said. “It is about service.” He argued that leaders who pursue office for personal gain often lose public trust and eventually fail to secure re-election.
Gachagua is currently positioning himself as a central figure in a widening opposition movement seeking to challenge Ruto in the 2027 General Election. During the interview, he said the next administration would inherit a country in urgent need of economic and institutional repair.
“We will have to start from scratch to restore Kenya,” he said. The remarks are likely to deepen political tensions as early alignments ahead of the next election continue to take shape.
While Gachagua has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of the government, allies of President Ruto have previously dismissed his attacks as politically motivated following his fallout with the administration.
The presidency had not issued an official response by Wednesday evening.
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