Gachagua Denies Blackmailing Ruto for Sh10B, Claims President Offered Sh2B for Resignation Which He Rejected; Says He Secretly Recorded

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has denied allegations that he blackmailed President William Ruto for Sh10 billion.

In March, during a media engagement in Nyeri, Ruto claimed that Gachagua had demanded Sh10 billion to allegedly help bolster his support in the Mt. Kenya region. However, in a TV interview with a local station on Monday night, Gachagua refuted these claims, alleging instead that President Ruto had made several offers to secure his resignation in the days leading up to his impeachment.

Gachagua claimed that the President told him directly that their working relationship was untenable and urged him to step down honorably. “He called me once when we disagreed, and he said, ‘I cannot work with you. I would like you to resign, and if you don’t, I will impeach you.’ He added, ‘Instead of you going home empty-handed, since you assisted me, I’d like you to leave with a retirement package. I’ll get you some money to get started—about Sh1.5 to 2 billion.’ I told him I wasn’t interested. I am priceless,” Gachagua recounted.

During a recent development tour of central Kenya—considered the political stronghold of his former deputy—President Ruto launched a defiant counteroffensive. He reiterated that Gachagua had demanded Sh10 billion to “organize” Mt. Kenya politics, stating, “If my fate is one term, so be it.”

In Monday’s interview, Gachagua alleged that the President sent a senior government officer on multiple occasions to persuade him to resign in exchange for an attractive retirement package. “On the day the National Assembly resolved to impeach me, he sent a very senior officer to meet me. The officer outlined the President’s terms. Against my ethics—because I don’t record people—I recorded that conversation,” Gachagua revealed.

He further claimed that the following day, the President instructed the same officer to arrange a face-to-face meeting. “He suggested I go to State House for talks, but I refused. He then proposed a city hotel, which I also declined. We eventually met along State House Road in a safe house run by the National Intelligence Service,” Gachagua said. “Again, he gave me an offer, and I told him I’d think about it because I didn’t want a confrontation.”

“I recorded that conversation between the officer, William Ruto, and myself.” He said.

“The day I went to the Senate, that same officer was sent to me with another offer. That officer is an innocent man. If I expose him now, he will lose his job — so we’ve agreed that when he retires, we will release the information. He has recorded it as well, and it is safely stored. NIS should not raid his home looking for it.” He added.

Gachagua emphasized that he has amassed his wealth through extensive business ventures and does not need financial assistance from anyone. “I’m not the type to ask him for money, and he knows that. I’m an astute businessman who has worked for many years and made my own fortune. I joined the campaign willingly, spending my own money because I believed it was the right thing to do. I also mobilized resources from friends,” he said.

The former Deputy President dismissed the idea that he sought funds from Ruto, noting, “If I had asked for money, I would have said so six months ago.”

Gachagua’s remarks come shortly after President Ruto concluded a five-day development tour of the Mt. Kenya region. The former deputy also alleged that on the day he appeared before the Senate for his impeachment hearing, the same senior officer was dispatched by the President with yet another offer, which he again rejected.