Wamuzi News Ke
Kiambu County has become a controversial political issue after President William Ruto publicly insulted the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, which resulted in an already unprecedented public rebuttal by the residents who met the head of state with very critical opinions, as said by the eyewitnesses and also confirmed by the independent reports from the local interactions.
The event was recorded in widely seen video clips and was also verified by many local reporters. It happened during President Ruto’s one-week visit to Kiambu, which was aimed at showing the development projects and at consolidating the support that he needed for the 2027 general election.
Although the official visit was supposed to focus on infrastructure and economic activities, like roads, housing, electricity expansion, and markets, the environment soon became hostile when Ruto specifically targeted Gachagua—an influential politician in the area whose impeachment and separation from the president are now the main issues in the region’s political discourse.
People in different Kiambu towns reacted to the president’s comments in what several community leaders characterized as “unequivocal disapproval.” They not only questioned his criticism of Gachagua but also accused the national government of betraying the local people.
The evidence for these reactions has been gathered through on-the-ground sources and public comments made during the engagements, reflecting increasing disappointment among the people over the political conflict and unfulfilled development expectations. A prominent issue for the residents was the assertion that political opposition to Gachagua—who still has a strong base among the people despite being ousted from the deputy presidency—is a sign of bigger governance problems.
According to reports, Ruto was informed by the locals that the criticism of Gachagua was not in the interest of the region and thus asked the president to use his power to bring about noticeable change rather than to take up political controversies. “People want her to be accountable and to receive what was promised, not public arguments that divert attention from the real issues,” a community representative said, interrupting the town hall meeting.
Many of the attending people supported this view and informed the president that the public is still split on his leadership and disheartened by what they see as rhetoric aimed at the power struggle between politicians.
The sharp criticism coincides with the public warnings recently issued by Gachagua to the people, advising them to be very careful about the stories from the presidency and to demand accountability from the leaders with respect to the promises made in the areas of development and political loyalty.
Gachagua has, in the past, during discussions, accused the government of using mere tokenism and cash handouts to win support, which he has very vigorously spread throughout Mt. Kenya as his narrative.
