Gachagua: How Ruto bankrolled Mt Kenya chaos

By Newsflash Reporter

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto of orchestrating violence, looting and killings in the Mt Kenya region during the Saba Saba protests, using senior government officials and controversial figures to execute the scheme.

Speaking in an interview with Pacific TV in Boston, USA, on Friday, 18 July, Gachagua alleged that the President deployed Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga and his former Economic Advisor, Moses Kuria, to spread chaos in the region with the help of state resources and security agencies.

“That mayhem [witnessed in Mt Kenya] had been planned by President Ruto and [Interior Cabinet Secretary] Kipchumba Murkomen, the Kikuyu MP [Kimani Ichung’wah] and Laikipia East’s legislator [Mwangi Kiunjuri] with the assistance of Moses Kuria,” said Gachagua.

According to Gachagua, President Ruto gave Sh60 million to Prof Kindiki, which was later handed to Maina Njenga to mobilize goons who vandalized and looted businesses across central Kenya. He claimed that this was part of a broader plot to suppress dissent and instill fear among the Mt Kenya community.

“The plan is to intimidate the Mt Kenya community to fear William Ruto,” Gachagua said.

“Another plan was to take the war to the Parliament through Ichung’wah, to falsely incriminate me and all politicians associated with me as the orchestrators of the violence.”

“The aim is to create enmity between us and the community just the way he created antagony between retired president Uhuru Kenyatta and the community,” said Gachagua.

Accusations of orchestrated mayhem

Gachagua claimed that the mastermind behind the attacks was none other than Maina Njenga, the former Mungiki leader who he said had been provided with funds and protection from prosecution in exchange for executing the assignment.

“The leader of the gang that terrorized our people [Mungiki] is the one responsible for all that. He is the one with a few youth who had been given money by Mr Soprano [Kindiki]. He was given Sh60 million to lead that destruction with the supervision of the police.”

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“When he finished the ‘assignment’, he was appreciated. A case he had in Makadara was dismissed as a sign of ‘gratitude’,” said Gachagua.

The former Deputy President further suggested that Maina Njenga’s proximity to top government operatives was well-documented and even showcased.

“They [Maina Njenga] have been pictured with Moses Kuria,” said Gachagua.

He said that Kuria did not resign from his position, but is on a mission to divide the region through State sponsorship.

Gachagua claimed that Kuria is running his operations from a State-funded office in Karen, where he is receiving Sh5 million weekly

He also alleged that President Ruto rewarded Mt Kenya MPs allied to him by hosting them at an expensive hotel in Naivasha as a token of appreciation for their role in supporting the violence.

“Ruto even hired an expensive hotel to his Mt Kenya-allied MPs in Naivasha, where he bought them drinks and food as a sign of gratitude for the ‘work’ [property destruction] they did,” he said.

Kuria hits back

In response, Kuria dismissed Gachagua’s allegations, claiming that the former Deputy President was being hypocritical. Kuria issued a sarcastic rebuttal via a statement on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, July 19.

“Rigathi Gachagua has accused me during his tour of the US of funding and supporting Maina Njenga. I am guilty as charged. I learnt from the best. I was in the room when Rigathi paid the same people money to steal Uhuru Kenyatta’s goats from Northlands.”

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Kuria’s statement appeared to refer to the controversial raid on former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Northlands property in 2023, during which livestock was reportedly stolen and property vandalized. At the time, allies of Gachagua were accused of being behind the attack, claims which the former Deputy President has consistently denied.

Meanwhile, Njenga has not issued any public statement responding to the allegations by Gachagua. Interior CS Kithure Kindiki and Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah also remained silent on the matter by the time of publication.