I will name top officials who stole Sh24b during transition, says DP

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has said he will name senior officials in former President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration who stole billions during Uhuru's last three months in power.

Gachagua who was speaking at Jesus Winners Ministry Church in Roysambu Constituency in Nairobi County on Sunday revealed that at least Sh24 billion was stolen from the government during the transition period. 

The deputy president said that some people deemed him arrogant when he declared during their inauguration that they had inherited empty coffers but that was the truth.

“When President William Ruto was declared the winner of the last elections, our competitors filed a petition that they knew was headed nowhere so that they can have time to steal billions of shillings from the state coffers since they were assured that they had lost the election,” said Gachagua.

The deputy president said they are determined to lower the cost of living by dismantling the monopoly in the gas and milk sectors.

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Top government officials have repeatedly given different figures of the money they believe was pilfered during the transition period. Two weeks ago there were claims that the government could have lost sh10 billion. 

Gachagua said that it was laughable that Azimio leader Raila Odinga was pretending to be championing the wellbeing of a majority of poor Kenyans yet he worked closely with the past regime which was responsible for the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities.

The deputy president assured Kenyans that, by the end of this year, they will see the prices of basic commodities going down, saying the government is putting several measures in place "to reverse the trend set by the former regime that impoverished citizens".

“President William Ruto and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua were elected to the office due to prayers made by Kenyans who wanted good leaders, I promise that we are going to live by our promises of creating jobs and making life affordable to the majority of Kenyans,” said Gachagua.

He accused the former president of failing to mentor young leaders from Mount Kenya, terming it the reason the region rebelled against him since they found out that he did not have the best interests of the residents at heart and was only after self-preservation.

Gachagua said that they are committed to having a strong UDA that will be in the league of South Africa's ANC and Tanzania's CCM and that they have already put structures in place.

The deputy president said that the president had identified youthful leaders across the country that he is mentoring.

“The administration of President William Ruto is committed to empowering the youth, this can be seen through the appointments made in various positions and also the programmes that we have come up with to empower our youth who are the majority,” said Gachagua.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said Kenyans are tired of divisive politics and were interested in service delivery since they already have a government in place.

He asked the opposition to give Ruto time to deliver on promises made to Kenyans.

Sakaja said he was instrumental in having Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula work with Ruto which propelled Kenya Kwanza to power.

He told off individuals thriving on his alleged differences with Gachagua, and asked them to look for better job to do since the two were working closely for the good of Nairobi residents.

“Let me tell those who think that they stand to benefit by driving a wedge between the deputy president and the Nairobi governor that they are wasting their time since we enjoy a cordial relationship and we each know that we have a role to serve the people who elected us,” said Sakaja.

Legislators present included Augustine Kamande (Roysambu), Anne Wamuratha (Kiambu County) and Betty Maina (Muranga County).