He's a pathological liar- Gachagua hits back at Ruto over Sh10bn blackmail claim
The two have been at odds since Gachagua’s removal from office, with their exchanges growing increasingly hostile.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has rebuked President William Ruto following claims made by the Head of State that Gachagua allegedly attempted to blackmail him.
Gachagua accused Ruto of being a “pathological liar” and suggested that the president suffers from a mental illness.
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“I am now convinced more than ever before that pathological lying is a mental disorder. The greatest existential threat to our beloved country is outright lying to the people of Kenya without blinking and failure by a leader to put his team together to harmonise their lies. I weep for my country, Kenya,” Gachagua wrote on X.
The dispute escalated after Ruto, in a televised interview on Monday, recounted his fallout with Gachagua, highlighting an alleged instance where the former deputy president attempted to blackmail him.
Ruto claimed that Gachagua had proposed a deal where he could make Ruto a one-term president unless he was given Sh10 billion to mobilise Mt Kenya voters.
According to Ruto, the attempted blackmail, which he turned down, was among the key factors that led to Gachagua’s eventual downfall.
“I stared straight at him and told him I would not do it under any circumstance whatsoever, and if it meant me being a one-term president, so be it,” Ruto said.
Ruto also discussed the challenges he faced while working with Gachagua, citing multiple instances of him conflicting with government officials.
“I did not sign any papers to remove Rigathi Gachagua from office. The law was followed, and those who removed him, removed him,” Ruto explained.
He recalled that Gachagua had engaged in a series of petty disputes, including with blogger Dennis Itumbi and government officials like Ndindi Nyoro and Kimani Ichung'wah. Ruto said he advised Gachagua to focus on governance rather than personal squabbles.
“I told Rigathi, let’s focus on working for the people of Kenya. Let’s stop with these petty disputes,” Ruto said.
The Head of State also described how Gachagua had escalated tensions with Members of Parliament, allegedly warning MPs that they would be removed unless they supported him.
“Before December, if you don’t bow to me, you’ll go home,” Ruto quoted Gachagua as saying.
Ruto further explained that Gachagua’s downfall began with his “arrogance” towards government officials and his juniors.
“Rigathi started coming to me with petty accusations against everyone he did not like. He was picking fights with Ndindi Nyoro, Dennis Itumbi, Farouk Kibet, even asking Mt Kenya MPs to kneel before him or else he’d use the strength of his office to victimise them,” he said.
Despite the mounting tensions, Ruto insisted that he was not responsible for Gachagua’s removal. He claimed that he stopped two other plans to oust the former DP.
“I cannot be accused of orchestrating the downfall of someone I single-handedly - against the advice of everyone else - nominated to be my running mate,” Ruto said, reflecting on the decision that initially placed Gachagua in the role.
The two have been at odds since Gachagua’s removal from office, with their exchanges growing increasingly hostile.
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