DCP turns the heat on Ruto over Gachagua's unanswered questions

Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leaders have accused the government of missing the point of Rigathi Gachagua’s recent attack on President William Ruto’s administration, saying the government officials have spent too much time talking about the former Deputy President and too little time answering the questions he raised.

Speaking yesterday, the leaders led by Nyandarua senator, John Methu said the government should stop making the debate about Gachagua’s personality and instead explain to Kenyans how President Ruto has performed during his four years in office.

“Don’t tell us about Rigathi Gachagua. Tell Kenyans about William Ruto’s four-year Presidency,” Methu said.

The DCP leaders said they had watched government officials respond to Gachagua but had seen little effort to deal with the substance of his accusations.

“For the last two days, the broad-based choir failed to address the substantive issues raised by H.E. Rigathi Gachagua,” Methu said, accusing the government of choosing to dwell on “petty, trivial matters” and rumours.

 Methu challenged the government to take the allegations one by one and tell Kenyans where Gachagua was wrong.

“To the government mandarins, which substantive claims in the 40-page address are false? Provide evidence,” the DCP leaders said.

The party also rejected the argument that Gachagua’s criticism should be dismissed because he served in the same administration he is now attacking. According to Methu, that history should make the claims more important to investigate, not easier to ignore.

“Rigathi was inside the government. Precisely, that does not invalidate what he is saying,” Methu said. “The question is: Is what he is saying true or false?”

The DCP leaders wanted the government to respond to questions affecting ordinary Kenyans, beginning with the cost of living.

The leaders were questioning whether households are financially better off than they were when Ruto took office in 2022 and wanted figures showing changes in purchasing power and disposable income.

The leaders also demanded answers on taxation, public debt, jobs and struggling businesses. The economic argument, Methu said, should not be based only on government statistics or speeches.

“Kenyans do not eat speeches; Kenyans want money in their pockets,” the DCP leaders said.

The leaders wanted the government to explain whether people are saving more, whether businesses are making more money, whether farmers are earning better returns and whether young people are finding sustainable jobs.

The leaders also questioned the performance of the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the nurses strike, asking whether Kenyans are receiving better and more affordable healthcare and demanding figures on access, claims and outstanding bills.

Beyond the economy, DCP leaders raised questions about corruption, government spending, abductions, disappearances and killings since 2022.

They also challenged the government to produce a scorecard showing which of President Ruto’s major 2022 campaign promises have been fulfilled after four years.

For the leaders, the argument is not simply about Gachagua versus Ruto. It is about whether a government nearing the end of its first term can account for its record.

“This is a government being asked to account to Kenyans for four years in office,” Methu said.

The DCP leaders are therefore putting the government in a difficult position: either engage with the claims and disprove them with facts, or risk allowing the questions raised by Gachagua to dominate the political conversation.

For the leaders, the messenger is not the issue. The real question the leaders argue, is what has happened to the country under Ruto’s watch and whether the government can convince Kenyans that their lives are better than they were four years ago.