Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on Wednesday delivered a scathing critique of his predecessor, Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of failing to effectively serve as President William Ruto’s principal assistant during his time in office. Speaking at a consultative forum with leaders from Tharaka Nithi County at his Karen residence, Kindiki stated that Gachagua did not meet the expectations of the Deputy President’s role and neglected his duties in supporting the President’s administration.
Kindiki’s comments centered around Gachagua’s failure to track and evaluate the government’s development agenda, a responsibility he claimed was part of the Deputy President’s mandate. “The work of monitoring, evaluating, and tracking the progress of the commitments our party made to the people of Kenya was assigned to the Deputy Party Leader, who is the Deputy President,” Kindiki remarked. He went on to accuse Gachagua of spending two years in office without engaging in any meaningful interactions with county leaders, an essential part of ensuring that the government’s promises were being fulfilled. “Not a single county was called by Gachagua to ask what we had done or not done,” Kindiki added.
Kindiki further criticized Gachagua’s lack of involvement in addressing the government’s reputational challenges, saying the Kenya Kwanza administration suffered due to a lack of leadership in tracking the country’s development progress. “The government has faced reputational issues because there has been no one to assist the President in tracking the country’s development agenda,” he said, acknowledging that the two years had been wasted but emphasizing that there was still time to turn things around.
In stark contrast, Kindiki pledged to fully support President Ruto’s agenda moving forward. He reiterated his commitment to fulfill the promises made by the administration, particularly in the areas of roads, energy, and water. “The pressure I want Kenyans to put on me is to ask me, on behalf of President William Ruto, after one year, what this administration has done regarding roads, energy, water, among others,” he stated.
In closing, Kindiki issued a stern warning to members of the ruling party who appeared to undermine the administration. He emphasized that those who opposed President Ruto’s leadership should do so from the outside and not from within the government. “You cannot be a Deputy President or a Minister flying a flag and sabotage the same administration you are serving,” he declared.
With these remarks, Kindiki reinforced his determination to support President Ruto’s development agenda and ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated.
