Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s assertion on the Kenya Kwanza administration’s constant criticism of the former Jubilee party government.

The former Head of State had over the weekend hit out at President William Ruto’s government with a subtle response to sustained criticism of the huge debt burden inherited from the Jubilee government.

Uhuru, who exited office in September 2022, accused the Kenya Kwanza leaders of focusing on the past instead of finding solutions to the problems faced by Kenyans.

“If you are a leader, one who is given the steering wheel, if you are a worthy leader who is at the steering wheel you look forward, not every time looking at the rearview mirror to see where you are coming from. You look forward. If you are a person who drives while looking at the rearview mirror, you will drive the car into a ditch,” Uhuru said at the funeral service of former National Assembly Majority Leader Amos Kimunya’s wife on Saturday.

“The country needs leaders who have progressive visions to solve Kenyans’ problems.”

However, reacting to the Jubilee party leader’s sentiments on Monday, Gachagua argued that a good leader should always keep an eye on the past to better manage the country.

” I heard somebody saying that you should not look at the rear mirror. I want to encourage you to keep looking at the rearview mirror because the inventor of the motor vehicle was not mad by putting the rearview mirror,” Gachagua said during a joint National Executive Retreat and Parliamentary group consultative meeting in Naivasha.

“In your leadership your Excellency you have made it clear that no Kenyan should be left behind. So, you have to continuously continue looking at the rear mirror to ensure all Kenyans are on board and are not left behind.”

Both Gachagua and Ruto have in the past maintained that 70 per cent of Kenya’s revenue goes to servicing a huge public debt inherited from Uhuru’s administration.

According to the two leaders, the Kenya Kwanza government inherited a Ksh9.6 trillion public debt from Uhuru’s regime, which has slowed down their efforts to turn around the country’s economy.