Double speak as top leaders criticise the government after fall-out

Several leaders who previously supported government programmes, projects and policies are now turning against the regime in a classic case of doublespeak.

Majority are those who lost their positions in government, resulting in their dismissal, impeachment or removal from important parliamentary committees.

At the centre of the political double-speaker is former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and ex-Public Service CS Justin Muturi.

Also in the spotlight is Kiharu MP and the former chairman of the National Assembly Budget Committee Ndindi Nyoro.

Early this week, Muturi who served as National Assembly speaker for 10 years, described the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) as corrupt, unlawful and unconstitutional.

He said the continuing operation of the fund as unlawful following several court decisions that declared it unconstitutional.

“NG-CDF is a corrupt, unlawful and unconstitutional slush fund to unjustly enrich the MPs, their families and cronies and should, therefore, be scrapped,'' Muturi said.

The court has twice declared the fund unconstitutional.

In September last year, High Court judges Kanyi Kimondo and Roselyn Aburili  ruled that the fund duplicates functions already performed by counties

However, Muturi appeared to be speaking at cross purposes as a few years ago, he had viciously defended NG-CDF and vowed to lead the National Assembly in appealing the decision.

“It is possible to operate the CDF model alongside the constitution so that it does not affect what is being done by the counties,” Muturi said in 2015.

He said that the fund does not undermine the role of county governments in development.

The then speaker defended the fund, saying Kenyans have achieved a lot since the CDF Act was enacted.

"CDF has greatly impacted lives of many Kenyans. And we still make it more effective by re-aligning it with the constitution," he said.

Muturi, who served as Attorney General before being appointed CS in charge of Public Service, bitterly fell out with Ruto, leading to his sacking weeks ago.

He also described Ruto as corrupt and unfit to lead the country.

In yet another about-turn, Nyoro, who defended the government during his tenure as the chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, this week sent a chilling warning about the country’s ability to repay its debt.

Ndindi warned that the country is in a debt crisis and could soon join Africa's debt defaulters club.

He warned that any attempts by the government to renegotiate existing debt could prove to be even more catastrophic.

“The country is edging dangerously close to default,” Nyoro said at the Institute of Public Finance annual budget review.

The outspoken MP, once a key ally of President Ruto and seen as his blue-eyed boy after the 2022 campaign, has increasingly distanced himself from the government.

His fallout with the President became apparent late last year when he refused to back the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua—now one of Ruto’s fiercest critic.

Shortly after, Nyoro was removed as chairman of the influential Budget and Appropriations Committee.

The former chair said Kenya’s debt has grown from under Sh2 trillion to Sh11 trillion over the past 12 years.

Former DP Gachagua, who vigorously defended the Kenya Kwanza programmes such as the controversial Finance Bill, 2024, the Affordable Housing Programme, the University Funding Model and the Universal Health Coverage, has since turned against them.

“The first year, I used to go to the media and meet Kenyans to speak about government projects until I realised the affordable housing is a fraud, I stopped defending it,” Gachagua said during a recent TV interview.

On the new University Funding Model and UHC, Gachagua said, “When I learned the university model was not working and it had become unpopular with students and parents, I declined the request to defend it alongside Adani and SHA."

Gachagua, a one-time close ally of the President, fell out of favour with his former boss, leading to his dramatic and historic impeachment in November last year.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

The double-speak of the leaders after falling out with the powers that be speaks to the hypocris. It portrays politicians as masters of double-speak, who defend or attack the government depending on the side they are in.