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The differences between President William Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua continue to manifest, following Ruto’s advisory to MPs.

Speaking in Bungoma on Sunday, June 2, 2024, Ruto advised MPs to move around the country in their bid to execute their representational roles.

This is against an advisory issued by Gachagua, who said that MPs and politicians should stick to their backyards.

“An MP has three roles. The first is representation, which is about your constituency. The other two roles (oversight and legislation) are not about your constituency, they are about the nation of Kenya. It is done in the National Assembly, not the village assembly. You as MPs have an extra duty of legislating for Kenya and providing oversight for Kenya,” Ruto said.

“You cannot live in your constituency and understand those other roles. You have to get out of your constituency, go to the next place and understand Kenya so that as you legislate in parliament you understand your country.”

Gachagua scolds RV politicians

Speaking on Saturday, May 25, 2024, Gachagua took a swipe at a section of Rift Valley leaders over claims that they were interfering with Mount Kenya politics.

Addressing the matter at the Mother of Apostles Seminary Grounds in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, during the coronation of Reverend John Kiplimo Lelei, the DP furiously told off the leaders whom he says are close allies of President William Ruto saying it was unrealistic that they were planning for the president’s heir yet he is still alive, he urged the leaders to instead focus on their current roles to serve the electorates.

“Sasa iko watu engine mumeshikana hapa Rift Valley na vijana ingine huko kwetu ati mnapanga siasa ya 2032, nyinyi mnataka kumridhi rais William Ruto akiwa hai? Sasa hii upuzi ya 2032 ni ya nini? Can we focus? So the problem Senator Mandago, is a few leaders of this region who have proximity to the president. Mnakoroga siasa ya huko kwetu, kudanganya watu ati waanze kupanga mambo ya 2032,” Gachagua said.

The DP further asked the mentioned leaders to refrain from poking their noses into Mount Kenya politics stressing that it was too complicated for them to understand.

He additionally said that every leader should focus on the politics of their region and avoid plotting on the politics of other regions.

“Naomba watu wa Bonde la ufa tafadhali sisi tuliunga rais mkono kwa hiari yetu na kupenda, na tunaendelea kumuunga mkono, tunaomba heshima kidogo, msijaribu kutupangia siasa ya mlima Kenya na uongozi wa Mlima Kenya, nyinyi mpange siasa yenu na uongozi wenu. Siku William Ruto atastaafu after 10 years sisi hatutaingilia vile mnataka kupanga, nyinyi mtapanga wenyewe. Siasa ya huko kwetu hamuezani nayo, ni ngumu sana. The politics of the mountain is so complicated it can only be understood by the mountaineers,” Gachagua added.

Sudi responds

In response, Sudi told Gachagua that he cannot control where he goes or how he handles his political affairs.

“You cannot control where I go. If we all stayed in our respective constituencies then we could not be in government. We had to fly all over the country to ask Kenyans to elect this government. I am not someone you can threaten. I have been threatened enough and this does not move me,” Sudi, a close ally of President William Ruto, told Gachagua. 

Sudi said he would not cease holding fundraisers anywhere in the country, a thing he says he inherited from President William Ruto.

“You know I got this thing from Ruto. He passed it to me because now he is concentrating on national matters. So I have to continue doing this in any part of the country,” Sudi added.

The bitter exchange comes even as reports of emerging cracks within the government between one faction led by President William Ruto and another led by Gachagua.