‘You’re a petty thief!’ Ruto

‘You’re a petty thief!’ Ruto

The rift between President William Ruto and his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, seems to have hit an irreversible stage, with harsh exchanges becoming the new standard for their relationship.

During a tense visit to Mandera County on Thursday, February 12, 2026, the President didn’t just brush off Gachagua’s criticisms; he launched a fierce public attack that questioned Gachagua’s very integrity.

In a fierce verbal attack, Ruto slammed his former right-hand man as a ‘petty thief’ who has completely lost the right to lecture the country about hunger.

This clash comes on the heels of a week filled with sharp criticism from Gachagua, who accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of ‘overseeing the deaths’ of Northern Kenyans due to inadequate funding for drought relief efforts.

The most dramatic moment of the tour unfolded when Ruto, standing alongside his new Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, took aim at Gachagua’s controversial history as a District Officer (DO) during the Moi era.

For years, whispers have circulated about Gachagua’s departure from the civil service, but now the President has turned those rumors into a weapon against him.

“You’re the last person, the least qualified, with no moral authority to tell anybody anything on matters of food relief because you’re a petty thief,” Ruto fired off to a stunned audience.

The President’s allies, including Kindiki and Health CS Aden Duale, have pointed out that Gachagua was kicked out years ago for misappropriating relief food meant for struggling families – the very same issue he’s now accusing the current government of mishandling.

Ruto didn’t hold back in ridiculing Gachagua’s recent foray into street activism.

Ever since his historic impeachment, the former Deputy President has become a regular at spontaneous rallies, rallying his supporters with chants of ‘Kasongo must go’ – a not-so-flattering jab at the President.

Ruto brushed off these antics as the behavior of someone with far too much free time on their hands.

“I see him roaming the streets, shouting slogans and acting like an idler. While we are here delivering NYOTA funds and connecting power, he is busy looking for cameras to spread lies because he has no plan for the people,” Ruto told the Mandera crowd.

Not one to hold back, Gachagua fired back with a bold statement from Nairobi just a few hours later. He brushed off a challenge from CS Aden Duale regarding a debate on Northern development, making it clear that his sights are set solely on the “top prize.”

“I do not debate with employees. I will not engage underlings. I am only available for one debate: the presidential debate in 2027 between Mr. William Ruto and me. His employees should help him prepare talking notes early enough,” Gachagua stated on his social media platforms.

Gachagua is standing firm in his belief that the government’s Ksh4 billion set aside for 3.3 million starving Kenyans is nothing short of a joke, pointing out that it’s well below the United Nations’ suggested minimum food basket.

Now, with the President branding him a common food thief, it looks like the 2027 campaign season has kicked off with the gloves not just off, but completely torn apart.

‘You’re a petty thief!’ Ruto