Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has made an explosive claim about President William Ruto, alleging that the Head of State once confided in him that his personal goal was to accumulate more wealth than the Kenyatta and Moi families put together.
Speaking during an interview with Kenya Newsline while on a political tour in the United Kingdom, Gachagua said the conversation took place during the period when the two men still had a close working relationship.
“The president came to look for wealth and, in the process, he has destroyed the country. He is wealthy and I remember, when we were in good books, he told me that in five years he wants to be richer than the family of Kenyatta and Moi combined,” he said.
The Kenyatta and Moi families are widely regarded as among Kenya’s wealthiest, with their fortunes built over generations dating back to the country’s first and second presidents, Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Arap Moi respectively.
Gachagua claimed that Ruto has not only achieved that goal but done so in just four years, though he alleged it came at the cost of draining public resources.
“It looked like a tall order to me and he said that he will be. Today, it is true that he is richer than both families but, in the process, he has destroyed everything,” he claimed.
The DCP leader used the moment to make a broader point about the motivations of political leaders, arguing that many enter public office not to serve but to enrich themselves.
He explained that this is why so many, political leaders, fail to deliver on their mandates.
“Leadership is a calling and not a ladder to wealth. It is not a formula for richness, it is about service. That is why you find many leaders who came to Parliament to look for wealth will not be re-elected,” he said.
Looking ahead to 2027, Gachagua acknowledged that whoever takes over from Ruto will inherit a country in a difficult state, saying the next administration will essentially have to start from scratch.
“Even as we are looking for leadership we will have a difficult time because we will have to start from scratch to restore Kenya,” he said.
Gachagua is part of a growing opposition front that includes Kalonzo Musyoka, former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i, PLP leader Martha Karua, and others who have been consistently criticising Ruto’s administration over what they describe as incompetence and corruption.
