Gachagua blames Ruto for fertiliser shortages as planting season begins
By Kenneth Mwenda, March 29, 2026Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua criticised President William Ruto for neglecting his duties, saying the country is facing serious problems in both agriculture and healthcare.
Speaking during a church service at ACK Diocese of Kirinyaga in Ndia Constituency on Sunday, March 29, 2026, Gachagua said the president is focusing on political activities instead of national priorities.
“It is not us who have told him to abandon his duties as president and to engage in rumours and gossip on top of the car every day. It is him,” Gachagua said.
He claimed that the government had failed to supply fertiliser to farmers despite previous announcements.
“If you look today, we have a big crisis in the agricultural sector. He announced publicly that there are two million bags of fertiliser in the stores. Today there is no single bag. The planting season is here. The rains are here. Not a single bag of fertiliser,” he said.
Gachagua accused the government of blaming external factors such as the war in Iran, describing such claims as false.
“No arrangements were made to provide fertiliser for the Kenyan farmers. So farmers have no choice but to go to the agrovet and buy fertiliser at 6,500 instead of the subsidised fertiliser by government at 2,500. All farmers are in distress,” he said.
He said even farmers from the president’s home region in Eldoret and Kericho had contacted him about the shortages. According to Gachagua, the National Cereals and Produce Board has no stock because the president is “busy campaigning” and has abandoned his work.
“He is top of the car dealing with trivial and petty issues at the expense of the Kenyan farmers,” Gachagua added.
The criticisms come despite President Ruto’s pledges to support farmers. In November 2025, he announced plans to distribute 12.5 million bags of subsidised fertiliser in 2026, building on 2025’s distribution of seven million bags.
The Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Kiprono Rono said on March 28 that one million bags had already arrived to support farmers until July 2026, with another five million bags expected later.
SHA faces imminent collapse
The former deputy president also raised concerns about the country’s healthcare system, warning that the Social Health Authority (SHA) could collapse within six months.
“We have a big challenge with our hospitals. I have information that SHA will collapse in another six months, and there will be a major crisis of unknown magnitude in the health sector,” he said.
Gachagua said hospitals, particularly faith-based institutions, are owed Ksh90 billion, leaving them at risk of shutting down. He advised hospitals to demand the release of the funds before providing further services and suggested they consider requiring upfront payments from SHA.
“If SHA collapses, all our hospitals will collapse, and we will have a very big crisis,” he said.