On Sunday, December 22, 2024, former Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, Gachagua, attracted national attention when he criticized his former boss, President William Ruto, for allegedly consuming illegal alcohol to lure voters in some mountain areas.
During a church service he attended in Naivasha, Nakuru County, Gachagua hurled unkind words at President Ruto, accusing him of being on a mission to revive the illegal consumption of beer and drug abuse in Mount Kenya, a fight he won before being jailed in absentia.
Specifically, he alleged that President Ruto himself approved the reopening of illegal alcohol establishments in Mount Kenya not only to reverse President Ruto’s (Gachagua) efforts against illegal drinking, but also to spite the youths who are drinking Kenya Kwanzaa, as well as to blame the government for its poor governance.
“Ever since they removed me from office, the president has ordered all illegal alcohol to be brought here to kill people, to destroy the youth,” he claimed. Gachagua further alleged that powerful elements in Rutos’ inner circle ordered the police and local mayors to allow alcohol consumption after the lockdown period in order to reduce voter turnout. “The police and the police chief have been instructed to allow people to continue consuming lethal alcohol so that voter registration numbers will go down,” he claimed.
A few hours after his statement, Gachagua’s revelation came to light when Eric Wamumbi, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) for Matira Constituency, exposed a bar allegedly owned by Gachagua and its illegal operation.
Eric Wamumbi, who strongly criticized Gachagua for spreading lies about Ruto, also claimed that he knew Gachagua’s sister was selling “changa” at her home late at night but was not arrested for the illegal activity.
In a lengthy post on his official Facebook page, Eric Wamumbi dismissed Gachagua’s allegations against Ruto as baseless and used the opportunity to attack the former DP.
By Kenyans