Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that President William Ruto once intimated to him that he aims to amass wealth more than some of Kenya’s top rich families.

In an interview on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, on Omega TV during his United Kingdom (UK) tour, Gachagua claimed that when he was still sharing a healthy bromance with the President, he revealed that he plans to be richer than the Kenyatta and Moi families.

“The president came to look for wealth, and in the process, he has destroyed the country. He is wealthy, and I remember, when we were in good books, he told me that in 5 years he wants to be richer than the family of Kenyatta and Moi combined,” he said.

He said that President Ruto has achieved his goal in just four years; however, at the expense of running public resources dry.

“It looked like a toll order to me, and he said that he will be. Today, it is true that he is richer than both families, but in the process, he has destroyed everything,” he claimed.

The Democracy for the Citizens (DCP) party leader averred that many political leaders fail to execute their mandate because they seek elective seats to fatten their pockets and abandon their mandate.

“Leadership is a calling and not a ladder to wealth. It is not a formula for richness; it is about service. That is why you find many leaders who came to Parliament to look for wealth will not be re-elected,” he said.

As a key political figure within the United Alternative Government, which is positioning itself to challenge President Ruto in the 2027 General Election, Gachagua stated that restoring the country’s economic and social stability will be a demanding responsibility for the next administration.

“Even as we are looking for leadership, we will have a difficult time because we will have to start from scratch to restore Kenya,” he said.

Gachagua, together with prominent opposition figures including Kalonzo Musyoka, Jubilee Deputy Party leader Fred Matiang’i, and People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua, has consistently criticised President Ruto’s administration, accusing it of poor governance, incompetence, and corruption.

The camp is now courting Linda Mwanachi’s faction to form a formidable front to make Ruto a one-term president.