In a steadfast response to the backlash he has faced, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has stood his ground to defend the controversial remarks he made in February, asserting that priorities within the Kenya Kwanza administration would be directed toward what he termed as “shareholders.”
His statements, which President William Ruto labeled as “primitive,” have sparked widespread criticism.
Speaking at a fundraiser at the Kapsabet ACK church in Nandi County last weekend, Deputy President Gachagua made it clear that he had no intentions of retracting his comments, which have ignited a nationwide debate.
Deputy President Gachagua said that it was his duty to safeguard the interests of those who voted in the Kenya Kwanza administration. He also sought to clarify that there was no division within the government and debunked any notions of discord between himself and President William Ruto.
“It is in the Bible; not my words,” Gachagua said. “I want to tell these people, don’t waste your time, there will be no division in this government. President William Ruto and I talk the same language. We consult, agree and move on.”
However, Gachagua’s assertion that those who voted for the president should have preferential access to government roles has triggered a wave of criticism, including from within the Kenya Kwanza alliance. Cabinet Secretary for Trade Moses Kuria and National Assembly Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro were among those who voiced their opposition to the “shareholder” narrative.
Kuria stated, “For me, all parts of Kenya are useful, there is no part that is useless because you are contributing with your fish, cotton, and avocados, are you not shareholders? Everybody in this country is a shareholder.” He shared these remarks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a County Aggregation and Industrial Park in Siaya.
Osoro echoed this sentiment, emphasizing, “Stop this shareholders issue. All Kenyans are in government, and all of us want to be involved in development issues. Honeymoon is over, celebrations are over.”
On his part, President Ruto, speaking during a tour of Nyanza, minced no words as he appeared to tell off his deputy that “it is primitive and backward for anybody to imagine that any region of Kenya cannot get development on account of how they voted.”
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