NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 11-Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has delivered a scathing assessment of President William Ruto’s first four years in office, accusing him of turning Kenya into an “imperial presidency” while declaring key government programmes such as the Hustler Fund failures.
Gachagua said Ruto had abandoned constitutional democracy and the institutional reforms promised during the 2022 presidential campaign, instead centralizing power and presiding over what he described as lawlessness, economic hardship, and institutional capture.
“It is not about personalities; it is about evaluating promises with performance, commitments with delivery, and expectations with outcomes,” Gachagua said while presenting his accountability statement and performance audit of the Ruto administration.
He accused Ruto of making a “complete 360-degree about-turn” from his campaign commitment to build a secure, just and democratic Kenya.
Gachagua said Ruto had instead created an “imperial presidency, economic apartheid” and was ruling as a “ruthless dictator.”
The former Deputy President said his assessment was based on what he described as the gap between the Kenya Kwanza administration’s campaign promises and its record in government.
Hustler fund ‘lost cause’
Gachagua singled out the Hustler Fund, one of the flagship economic programmes introduced by the Ruto administration, arguing that it had failed to transform the lives of ordinary Kenyans.
The former Deputy President questioned the programme’s effectiveness, which he said had reportedly disbursed billions of shillings to millions of Kenyans.
“I am yet to hear of any one Kenyan saying that they have expanded their business courtesy of the Hustler Fund,” Gachagua said.
He argued that the small amounts disbursed to individual borrowers were inadequate to establish or expand sustainable businesses.
“The truth of the matter is the high rate of loan defaults and low loan disbursements. In many instances, Sh 500 is insufficient to establish or grow a sustainable business venture anywhere in the country,” he said.
Gachagua ultimately dismissed the programme as “a lost cause and was a fraud.”
The criticism forms part of his wider argument that the administration has failed to deliver on its promise to put more money in the pockets of ordinary Kenyans.
Broken promises
Gachagua accused the government of imposing a heavier tax burden on households while the cost of food, fuel, transport and healthcare continues to put pressure on family incomes.
He cited the rise in fuel prices since 2022 and argued that increased taxation and statutory deductions had reduced workers’ disposable income.
He also criticized the government’s management of public debt, claiming Kenya’s debt had risen to Sh13.02 trillion from Sh8.6 trillion in August 2022.
According to Gachagua, the government was borrowing at a significantly higher rate than previous administrations without delivering corresponding development.
He also attacked the affordable housing programme, the Social Health Authority, education financing and agricultural policies, arguing that each had fallen short of the administration’s original promises.
‘One-term’ verdict
Gachagua’s assessment was ultimately framed as a political verdict ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He challenged the President to account for what he would deliver during the remaining year before Kenyans return to the ballot.
“Leadership is judged by results, not by promises,” Gachagua said.
He argued that Kenyans should assess the administration against its own campaign commitments rather than promises of new plans and long-term visions.
“That is why millions of Kenyans are seeing one term. One term is not a slogan of anger; it is a verdict on performance,” he said.
Gachagua said his opposition Democratic for Citizens Party would use the coming year to mobilize Kenyans around what he termed a 364-day action plan to restore the country’s dignity.
He urged voters to choose “accountability over excuses, delivery over promises and leadership that honors its covenant with the people” when they vote on August 10, 2027.
