NAIROBI Kenya, Feb 4 – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that President William Ruto offered him Sh2 billion to step down from his position before his impeachment.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Gachagua alleged that Ruto assured him of continued security, a salary, and an opportunity to contest for political office in the future if he agreed to resign.
“The President told me, ‘Just resign, and I will give you Sh2 billion so you can go home, rest, do your own things, have security, receive a salary, and you can run again for office in the future,’” Gachagua claimed.
He said he rejected the offer, questioning the sincerity of someone he believed was working against him.
“I asked myself, can someone who is plotting against you offer you a solution on how to live? If you see someone planning bad things for you, the path they tell you to take is the one you should avoid,” he stated.
Gachagua further alleged that MPs were given Sh500,000 each, while senators received Sh10 million to support his removal from office.
“The president told me to quit so that he could give me Sh2 billion and allow me to go on with my business while maintaining my security. He even suggested I could vie again in the future, but I asked myself, how can the president plan my future while forcing me out?” he said.
He added that some MPs had encouraged him to resign to position himself for a 2027 election bid, but he ultimately rejected their advice.
“The idea that if I am removed, I won’t run for office again means nothing to me. People think I am overly self-centered, but I don’t need to hold any position in the Republic of Kenya,” Gachagua said.
The former deputy president insisted that he was impeached for being vocal about issues affecting Kenyans.
Gachagua made history as Kenya’s first deputy president to be impeached when the Senate upheld his removal on August 17, 2024.
The 59-year-old politician, popularly known as “Riggy G,” was convicted on five out of 11 charges presented by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, including corruption, practicing ethnically divisive politics, and undermining the President.
