President Ruto Accuses Gachagua of Extortion

President William Ruto has publicly accused former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of extorting money from businesspeople and aspirants seeking political positions through his Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP). Ruto claimed that Gachagua was demanding millions of shillings from DCP aspirants, including charging KSh50,000 for an aspirant to speak at a political rally.

The President made these allegations while speaking at Nyangori in Kitutu Masaba Constituency, Nyamira County. He criticised Gachagua for claiming that he helped him win the presidency, describing it as an absurd claim given his experience and Gachagua's one-term MP status. Ruto disclosed that during the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) running mate selection process, Gachagua only received four votes from the Mt Kenya MPs Caucus.

President Ruto also took issue with Gachagua's claims that people were being paid to attend the President's political rallies. He warned Gachagua to respect citizens, describing them as intelligent enough to make their own decisions. The President told Gachagua to respect voters and allow them to make independent political choices, criticising his boast that he "carries millions of votes for voters".

The President pointed out that Gachagua has been spreading falsehoods, including claims that the Rironi-Mau Summit road would not be built and that the Bomas International Convention Complex and Gikomba Market had been sold. However, he clarified that the Rironi-Mau Summit road is being built, and the construction of Bomas and Gikomba is being completed.

President Ruto also announced that the Government is investing KSh1.2 billion towards the revival and modernisation of tea factories across the country. The initiative aims to upgrade production plants to international standards, giving local factories the capacity for value addition so that farmers can fetch higher prices.

In addition to the tea factory modernisation, President Ruto stated that the Government had already released the money to support the factories. In the next financial year, KSh2.5 billion will be allocated to the tea factories to facilitate the transition to cheaper and more efficient sources of energy, including solar power.

The President also addressed disparities in the payment of bonuses to farmers in the east and west of Rift Valley, assuring that his administration would continue addressing outstanding challenges to ensure farmers earned better returns from their produce. Meanwhile, Governors Simba Arati and Amos Nyaribo called for equal payment of bonuses to farmers in east and west of Rift Valley.

Key points

• President Ruto accused Gachagua of extorting money from businesspeople and aspirants seeking political positions.
• The Government is investing KSh1.2 billion towards the revival and modernisation of tea factories across the country.
• President Ruto addressed disparities in the payment of bonuses to farmers in the east and west of Rift Valley.