Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has criticised the Kenya Kwanza administration, accusing President William Ruto and his deputy Kithure Kindiki of reckless government spending at a time when the country is grappling with rising public debt.

In an interview on the Iko Nini podcast on Friday, March 27, 2026, Gachagua raised alarm over what he termed opulence and misplaced priorities in government expenditure, warning that continued borrowing and extravagant spending could push Kenya deeper into a fiscal crisis.

“When you are in a hole, the first thing you do is stop, then you figure out how to get out. But when you are in a hole, you cannot continue borrowing every day. You will never get out of the debt,” he said.

His remarks come amid growing scrutiny over Kenya’s debt management following a damning audit report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu.

The report questioned the utilisation of Ksh110 billion from the proceeds of a 2025 Eurobond issued to ease pressure from maturing loans.

According to the audit, Kenya raised Ksh188.35 billion through the sovereign bond, but only Ksh78.3 billion was used for the intended buyback of an existing Eurobond.

Another Ksh30 billion was diverted to plug domestic borrowing gaps, raising concerns about a possible breach of the bond’s terms.

Gachagua seised on these findings to argue that the government must urgently rein in spending and prioritise debt management.

“To start with, we must stop unnecessary expenditure and opulence. You have seen the Deputy President has a budget of Ksh150 million for helicopters to fly around the country. What for? You have seen the State House has a budget of Ksh5 billion for hospitality, for entertaining delegations. What for?” he posed.

Gachagua defends his tenure

The former deputy president also dismissed claims that he engaged in similar spending during his tenure, insisting that his office maintained a modest budget focused on official duties rather than political engagements.

“I never held a single political delegation. My meetings were working meetings. I would meet governors through IBEC, and I would meet farmers for tea or coffee. I never hosted political delegations like what is happening now,” he stated.

He added that accusations previously levelled against him over hospitality spending were misplaced.

“He was accusing me of not hosting delegations. By the way, I never used to host delegations. My meetings were structured and constitutional, not political,” he revealed.

Gachagua further criticised what he described as the politicisation of State House functions, claiming that frequent hosting of regional delegations for political discussions was driving up unnecessary costs.

“They are having delegations from Meru, from Trans Nzoia, coming to discuss politics. That is not what government resources should be used for,” he said.

The Democracy for the Citizens (DCP ) leader’s utterances also come amid political tensions within the ruling coalition, even as the government faces increasing pressure to demonstrate fiscal discipline.

The Auditor-General’s report has already raised red flags about transparency and accountability in the use of borrowed funds. It warned that diverting Eurobond proceeds to domestic financing needs could undermine investor confidence and expose Kenya to legal and financial risks.

“The utilisation of the sovereign bond proceeds to cover shortfalls arising from Treasury bonds was a breach of the subscription agreement,” the report noted.

Gathungu also warned that Kenya’s rising debt, now estimated at over Ksh12 trillion, requires urgent policy interventions to avoid long-term economic instability.

Gachagua supported these concerns, urging the government to adopt a more cautious approach.

“The first thing is to stop borrowing, then figure out how to pay what is outstanding. If we don’t change course, we will keep sinking deeper,” he said.