Gachagua: The most dangerous man in Kenya

Nothing to lose...

If you make an enemy, totally destroy him.

Kenya’s President, William Ruto, has many failures, but his handling of Rigathi Gachagua may be the single biggest mistake of his career. In a public ritual of humiliation and scapegoating, Ruto impeached his own Vice-President. A peace offering to angry protestors baying for blood. However, in the process he turned Gachagua into a hero of the resistance.

‘I would not vote for Gachagua. But I believe what he says about Ruto.’ This is a common feeling among Kenya’s youth. Cast out of the cabinet, Gachagua is a voice in the wilderness. Crying out against the sins of his one time boss. With nothing to lose, he is spilling the beans on corruption in Ruto’s government. And the more secrets he lets out, the more he confirms: he is likely the most dangerous man in Kenya.

So what are Gachagua’s accusations?

Things we knew all along

Some of Gachagua's claims, whilst shocking, were not a big surprise. Kenyans recently voted William Ruto as the world’s most corrupt leader. So, when Gachagua revealed Ruto was profiting from aid donations, most Kenyas found this easy to believe.

From dam construction projects which have absorbed costs without making progress, to micro-loan companies who pay Ruto monthly, Gachagua has painted a picture of a President with fingers in all the domestic pies. Perhaps most famously, a donation of 40,000 metric tons of fertilizer from Russia and 30,000 metric tons from Algeria was diverted to private companies connected to the president, who then repackaged it and sold it on.

Former Attorney General Justin Muturi has supported Gachagua’s claims, saying Ruto is "the most unfortunate thing that could have happened to Kenya." Muturi claims Ruto pressured him into approving a billion dollar money laundering deal from Russia, disguised as a tree-planting project.

Foreign Business Policy

Beyond Kenya, Ruto’s actions have been equally suspect. For example, Kenya's controversial recognition of Kosovo as an independent state, which has strained relations with Serbia, Russia, and potentially China. Gachagua alleges Ruto shares joint ownership of the Dolphin Hotel in Mombasa with the President of Kosovo. The real reason for Kenya’s foreign policy stance.

The former deputy president also accused Ruto of interfering in the Democratic Republic of Congo, alleging private meetings with M23 rebel leaders and personal stakes in the gold trade. Whether Gachagua is correct about the Congo connection remains to be seen. M23 do have offices in Nairobi. What is clear, is that DRC does not want Kenya involved in the situation anymore, rejecting Kenya’s peacekeeping troops and offers of mediation. Decisions made since Ruto has been in power.

A Pariah State

This sense that Kenya is becoming a diplomatic pariah under Ruto has been made even worse by the situation in Sudan. Gachagua has painted Ruto as a close ally of the Rapid Security Forces and their backers, the United Arab Emirates. Something most parties already suspected. Ruto doesn’t hide his biases well.

RSF has been allowed to hold meetings and press conferences in Nairobi despite international sanctions against their leaders. In an explosive interview on April 7th, Gachagua argued Ruto was helping the RSF buy arms in exchange for gold.

"I want to tell the international community it is pointless to leave a sanction against [Hemeti]... the person you need to levy sanctions against is William Ruto" - Rigathi Gachagua

The United States issued a warning about arms smuggling through the port of Mombasa on the same day as the interview, seemingly lending credibility to Gachagua's assertions. Sudan has already rejected Ruto's mediation efforts and imposed a trade ban against Kenya. You can read more about Ruto’s behaviour in Sudan in our article: Kenya is Making Sudan’s War Worse.

How to solve a problem like Rigathi?

Ruto smeared Gachagua out of government by accusing him of ‘tribalism’. Something Kenya’s youth accused Ruto of during the protests. Initially Gachagua fell into the trap and defended himself by playing the ethnic card.

Since then he has carefully adjusted his position. The story is no longer about ethnic rivalry. It's about Ruto’s extraordinary corruption and habitual lies. In response to these damaging accusations, Ruto has floundered. Even if they are untrue, by failing to refute Gachagua’s claims the government has allowed them to fester, like an infection in a wound.

Now Gachagua says he wants to start his own new political party. But can he translate his dangerousness into popularity? For the moment that seems unlikely. Many Kenyans see Gachagua as a way to undermine and destroy Ruto. Not someone offering a vision of something new.

Meanwhile Ruto is left wondering, how do you control a man who knows too much and has nothing to lose? Will any of these extraordinary accusations be investigated? Gachagua eagerly claims he has evidence for everything he says. We will have to wait and see.

Sources:

https://eastleighvoice.co.ke/national/140805/261-officers-stranded-as-deployment-to-haiti-stalls-due-to-lack-of-equipment-and-logistical-support

https://livenowafrica.com/news/article/40071/muturi-claims-ruto-pressured-him-to-approve-ksh129-billion-russian-tree-planting-deal

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/17/kenya-impeaches-deputy-president-over-corruption-undermining-government

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/national/article/2001515836/gachagua-drops-diplomatic-bombshell-on-ruto