Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has never shied away from the microphone. But now, his own past utterances are returning to haunt him as he launches fierce attacks on the very government he once defended with unwavering loyalty.
Since being unceremoniously kicked out of power in October 2024, Gachagua has gone on a rampage, exposing the rot within the administration of his former boss, President William Ruto.
While some of his revelations have been met with applause, many Kenyans are questioning his sudden transformation from the government’s staunchest defender to its loudest critic.
Gachagua’s drastic shift was on full display this week when he condemned the violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators protesting the killing of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang.
The protests turned bloody, with police and hired goons descending on citizens, leaving Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, an innocent bystander, fighting for his life after being shot at point-blank range.
“Today, we have witnessed one of the lowest moments of our post-independence, Kenya. It is uncivilized to sink our nation into an international shame by a clueless regime that has no value and dignity for human life,” Gachagua posted on X.
“Young people and patriotic Kenyans expressing themselves on the death of an innocent Albert Ojwang have been beaten up, their property destroyed, and lives lost in the peaceful protests…”
Yet, Kenyans quickly reminded Gachagua of his recent past. Less than a year ago, he was the face of government suppression, famously telling protestors:
“You cannot go to the streets destroying property and expect police to come kiss you.”
Back then, Gachagua basked in the role of President Ruto’s top enforcer, defending every flaw and justifying every excess. In Nandi County, he had declared
“Whoever is planning something against President Ruto should be prepared to face me because that is my job. My work is to protect him.”
When the media questioned Ruto’s Ksh 2.3 billion expenditure on travel, Gachagua dismissed them: “Cost is determined by the level of activity… It is only then that you can make an objective analysis.”
Despite the country’s ailing economy, Gachagua parroted the administration’s talking points and declared that 2027 would be a walkover for Ruto.
But then came June 2024.
As anti-tax protests rocked the nation, Gachagua began showing cracks. He condemned police brutality, while Ruto defended it.
“It is embarrassing to me that it has taken protests for the president to know the truth,” he said in Mombasa.
The rift widened when Ruto welcomed dialogue with Raila Odinga. Weeks later, Gachagua was impeached and officially switched sides. He now claims the government is drowning in corruption, nepotism, and mismanagement.
“We as the Mt. Kenya people hate two things; lies and betrayal. Never again shall we find ourselves in the hole we are in,” he declared.
He now alleges State surveillance, sabotage of his events, and has linked up with Martha Karua and Kalonzo Musyoka to form a formidable opposition front.
Gachagua has even launched a political party—Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP)—and coined a fiery chant: “Wantam,” branding Ruto a one-term president.
During the recent protests against police killings, he doubled down on his criticism: “What is this obsession with the regime with the blood of young people? Why do you continue to paint our country with innocent blood?”
But critics say Gachagua is a master of political shape-shifting, and his credibility is now on trial.
He has gone from the regime’s most loyal bulldog to a born-again patriot—and it seems, the side he fights for depends solely on which side of the table he’s seated.
