Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday night accused President William Ruto of political hypocrisy during an interview at Ramogi FM, highlighting what he described as Ruto’s shifting approach to leaders and communities over the years.
Speaking on the airwaves, Gachagua said Ruto, who is currently campaigning in Nyanza, had spent the last five days targeting him and the Kikuyu community with verbal attacks, calling him a “bogeyman” and labeling his community as tribalist.
Yet, he pointed out, Ruto had for nearly a decade been publicly criticizing Raila Odinga, the late leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), with similar harsh language.
"People keep on changing their minds. Huyu William Ruto anashinda kwa Wajaluo akitukana Rigathi Gachagua. Alikuwa mwaka tisa akitukana Raila. Leo anasema Baba ni mtu mzuri, wajaluo ni watu wazuri," Gachagua said, referring to Ruto’s current outreach in Nyanza County.
The former deputy president drew attention to what he sees as a contradiction in Ruto’s political narrative.
He said that while Ruto now speaks positively about the Luo community and Raila Odinga, he was previously consistent in denouncing them, a pattern Gachagua described as politically opportunistic.
Gachagua also addressed questions about his own past remarks against Raila Odinga, admitting that he had participated in public criticism of the ODM leader. However, he shifted the responsibility to Ruto’s leadership at the time.
"This is one leader called Raila Odinga. You have said I also say the same thing. It’s true, because in our campaign, it’s like a choir. William Ruto was the choir master. He was the composer of the song and the soloist," Gachagua said.
He elaborated that campaign rhetoric often involved multiple voices following a single lead.
"So while the choir members were following what the choir master is saying, yeye ndio alituambia hiyo maneno," he explained, suggesting that Ruto orchestrated the attacks on political opponents while others, including himself, simply echoed them.
Political analysts note that Gachagua’s remarks come at a sensitive moment in Kenya’s political calendar, with the 2027 general elections approaching and President Ruto intensifying outreach in regions historically considered opposition strongholds.
The former deputy president’s comments may resonate with voters who recall past campaign periods marked by intense personal attacks.
While Gachagua’s narrative centers on past grievances, it also frames him as a critic of political double standards, highlighting a broader concern among politicians about accountability for rhetoric used during campaigns.