CIVICLENS GAZETTE

TUESDAY, 11 AUGUST 2026

Former Deputy President turns the spotlight on the economy, taxation, insecurity, governance and the deaths of prominent Kenyans as he challenges President Ruto to answer for four years in power

By Civiclens Gazette Political Desk

NAIROBI — Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Tuesday delivered one of his most comprehensive political attacks yet against President William Ruto, using a highly anticipated address dubbed “Ruto at Four” to present his assessment of the Kenya Kwanza administration four years into its tenure.

The address, delivered from the headquarters of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), was not simply a retrospective examination of government performance. It was a political indictment, an economic critique and, arguably, a carefully constructed opening statement for the battle ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Gachagua sought to shift the national conversation away from government announcements and long-term development promises and toward a more immediate question:

How has the ordinary Kenyan's life changed under the Ruto administration?

His answer was unequivocal.

According to Gachagua, the government has presided over worsening economic pressure, punitive taxation, insecurity, declining purchasing power, unemployment and what he described as a worrying deterioration in governance and accountability.

The speech immediately triggered a political counterattack from government allies, setting the stage for another major confrontation between the former deputy president and the administration he once helped form.

THE ECONOMY: “KENYANS ARE PAYING MORE AND GETTING LESS”

At the heart of Gachagua's presentation was the cost-of-living question.

The former deputy president argued that Kenyan households are under increasing financial pressure because of taxation, fuel and transport costs, utility expenses and other deductions.

He portrayed the economic situation as one in which workers are earning money but retaining less of it.

One of his strongest proposals was a call for the government to suspend the Affordable Housing Levy and review PAYE tax bands, arguing that workers need more disposable income.

He also called for a review of the petroleum pricing framework, saying that cheaper fuel would have a direct effect on household expenses and the wider economy.

Gachagua argued that a punitive and unpredictable tax regime was contributing significantly to the cost-of-living crisis. He used the example of a teacher earning Sh50,000 to illustrate what he described as declining purchasing power compared with 2022.

The economic argument is politically significant.

Rather than debating economic growth through abstract figures, Gachagua attempted to frame the 2027 conversation around the contents of the Kenyan worker's payslip, the price of food, the cost of fuel and the ability of families to meet everyday obligations.

That is a message designed to resonate far beyond traditional political strongholds.

TAXATION BECOMES A POLITICAL WEAPON

Gachagua's criticism of taxation was broader than the Housing Levy.

He argued that the cumulative effect of taxes and statutory deductions has reduced disposable income for workers.

His proposed remedy was essentially to put more money back into the hands of citizens.

That included reviewing PAYE, suspending the Housing Levy and examining petroleum pricing.

The former deputy president therefore presented taxation not merely as an economic issue but as a political choice.

His argument was that government should not continually seek more revenue from citizens without simultaneously demonstrating that public resources are being managed effectively.

This placed the question of taxation squarely inside the emerging 2027 political contest.

STATE CAPTURE AND GOVERNANCE

Perhaps the most politically explosive portion of the speech came when Gachagua accused the Ruto administration of state capture and alleged that institutions of government were being used for political purposes.

Citizen Digital reported that Gachagua accused President Ruto of using the presidency to pursue immense personal wealth, including an allegation that he was seeking to become a “dollar billionaire.” These remain political allegations made by Gachagua and should not be treated as established facts without independent evidence.

Gachagua also claimed that government and security officials had attempted to obtain the contents of his speech before he delivered it.

The allegation added another dimension to his wider argument that political space in Kenya is becoming increasingly restricted.

The Star reported that Gachagua claimed attempts had been made by government officials and security agencies to access his prepared remarks.

The significance of this claim lies not only in the allegation itself but in the political narrative Gachagua is building: that an opposition figure is being watched, constrained and challenged by the machinery of government.

SECURITY, ABDUCTIONS AND THE RULE OF LAW

Gachagua devoted considerable attention to security and the rule of law.

He raised questions surrounding alleged abductions, disappearances, police shootings and deaths involving prominent Kenyans.

He also questioned the progress and handling of particular investigations, including the death of clinical psychologist Dr Victoria Nthunya Mutiso.

The former deputy president argued that Kenyans deserve answers and accountability whenever serious crimes occur.

However, his claims immediately encountered resistance.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) rejected what it described as unsubstantiated allegations and insisted that investigations are conducted on the basis of evidence and the law rather than political affiliation.

The agency cited several investigations in which it said progress had been made and warned against using criminal cases and deaths of public figures to advance political narratives.

For Civiclens Gazette, the distinction is crucial:

Gachagua raised the questions; the DCI has provided its response. The allegations themselves require evidence and should not be presented as proven wrongdoing.

RAILA ODINGA'S DEATH ENTERS THE POLITICAL CONVERSATION

One of the most sensitive elements of the address was Gachagua's discussion of the circumstances surrounding the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Gachagua raised questions about Raila's final hours, medical arrangements and other circumstances surrounding his death.

The remarks immediately became politically charged because Raila remains one of Kenya's most consequential political figures, and questions surrounding his death carry enormous emotional and political weight.

The Star reported that Gachagua questioned aspects of the circumstances preceding Raila's death, including medical arrangements and the absence of a post-mortem.

However, once again, the responsible journalistic position is to separate questions raised by a politician from established evidence.

Gachagua's remarks are therefore best understood as a demand for greater transparency rather than proof that wrongdoing occurred.

HOUSING: A PROMISE UNDER ATTACK

Gachagua also challenged the government's Affordable Housing programme.

Rather than accepting the Housing Levy as a necessary mechanism for financing the government's housing agenda, he argued that the levy is placing additional pressure on workers.

His proposal was straightforward:

Suspend the Housing Levy and give workers greater take-home pay.

The political calculation behind this argument is obvious.

Housing is a government flagship programme, while taxation is one of the most sensitive issues among voters.

By attacking the levy, Gachagua simultaneously challenges one of Ruto's signature policies and positions himself as an advocate for workers' disposable income.

EDUCATION, AGRICULTURE AND HOUSING UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Gachagua's assessment extended beyond taxation and security.

He criticised the administration's record on housing, education and agriculture, arguing that the government has fallen short of expectations.

According to TV47's report on the address, Gachagua also outlined what he said his own political camp would pursue if given the opportunity to govern after the 2027 elections.

This is where the speech moved from being merely an attack on Ruto to becoming a political alternative.

An opposition leader cannot simply say the government has failed.

The more important question is:

What would you do differently?

Gachagua attempted to answer that question by presenting policy alternatives around taxation, household income, economic management and governance.

FROM FORMER DEPUTY PRESIDENT TO OPPOSITION CHALLENGER

The symbolism of “Ruto at Four” cannot be ignored.

Gachagua was once at the centre of the administration he was now evaluating.

He served as Ruto's deputy president from 2022 until his removal from office in 2024.

That history gives his criticism both political weight and vulnerability.

Government allies quickly seized upon it.

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah argued that Gachagua cannot completely distance himself from the government's record because he served in the administration during its first two years and participated in Cabinet and National Security Council meetings.

Ichung'wah challenged Gachagua to account for his own record as deputy president.

The government side therefore introduced a counter-narrative:

If the Ruto administration failed, why did Gachagua defend it while he was inside it?

That question could become one of the central lines of attack against him during the 2027 campaign.

THE COUNTERATTACK BEGINS

Within hours of Gachagua's address, the political response intensified.

Ichung'wah accused Gachagua of attempting to extort KSh300 million from China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) while serving as deputy president and further alleged that he had demanded KSh10 billion to “fix Mount Kenya politics.”

These are serious allegations made by Ichung'wah and, like Gachagua's accusations against the government, they should be treated as allegations unless independently established.

The exchange illustrates the political temperature surrounding the 2027 election.

The debate is no longer simply:

Ruto versus Gachagua.

It is becoming a contest over competing narratives about who can be trusted to lead Kenya, who understands the country's problems and who bears responsibility for the situation facing the country.

THE 2027 MESSAGE

Perhaps the most important political aspect of Gachagua's speech was its timing.

Kenya is now approaching the final year before the 2027 General Election.

Gachagua is positioning himself and his DCP as a national political alternative.

His address attempted to create a simple political equation:

Four years of Ruto = a cost-of-living crisis + heavy taxation + insecurity + governance concerns.

Whether Kenyan voters ultimately accept that equation will be decided not in press conferences but at the ballot box.

The opposition's challenge will be to transform criticism into a convincing national programme.

The government's challenge will be to demonstrate that its economic policies are producing tangible improvements in people's lives.

CIVICLENS GAZETTE ANALYSIS

Gachagua's “Ruto at Four” speech should therefore be understood as a campaign-defining political intervention.

Its greatest strength was its focus on issues ordinary citizens immediately understand: money, taxes, employment, security, fuel, housing and the performance of government.

Its greatest vulnerability is equally clear.

Gachagua was part of the administration he now criticises.

The government will repeatedly remind voters that he helped sell the Kenya Kwanza agenda before becoming one of its fiercest opponents.

The credibility of his accusations will also depend on evidence, especially where he raised questions about deaths, investigations and alleged state wrongdoing.

For President Ruto, the speech creates another political test.

The administration cannot simply dismiss Gachagua as an angry former deputy president. It must persuade Kenyans that its economic policies are working and that the country's institutions remain accountable and independent.

For Gachagua, meanwhile, the speech represents an attempt to transform personal political conflict into a national argument about governance.

That distinction could prove decisive.

If he succeeds in making the 2027 election a referendum on the everyday economic experience of Kenyans, he could broaden his political appeal beyond the traditional Mount Kenya question.

If the government succeeds in demonstrating measurable progress and reminds voters of Gachagua's own role in the first part of its administration, his attack could lose some of its force.

Either way, Tuesday's address has raised the political stakes.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Rigathi Gachagua's “Ruto at Four” address was ultimately a demand that Kenyans judge the Kenya Kwanza administration not by promises, slogans or long-term visions, but by the reality facing citizens today.

He attacked the government over taxation, cost of living, housing, employment, agriculture, education, insecurity and governance, while raising questions about several high-profile deaths and investigations.

The government and state agencies have already pushed back, rejecting or challenging several of his claims.

That confrontation is unlikely to end today.

With the 2027 election increasingly dominating Kenya's political imagination, Gachagua has made his position clear:

He wants the next election to be a verdict on the Ruto presidency.

President Ruto's camp, equally, will seek to make it a verdict on Gachagua's record as his former deputy.

The battle for the Kenyan voter has entered another phase.

And Tuesday, 11 August 2026, may be remembered as the day the “Ruto at Four” scorecard became one of the defining political documents of Kenya's journey toward 2027.