Kindiki tells off Gachagua over drought remarks, questions his moral authority

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has criticised former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for misleading Kenyans over the government’s drought mitigation efforts.

He said Gachagua lacks moral authority to lecture the government on drought mitigation when his own record is questionable.

Kindiki spoke in Garissa county during the disbursement of Nyota funds. The event was presided over by President William Ruto.

Gachagua, in his recent remarks, alleged that the government wasted public resources that should have been directed towards drought-stricken residents in Arid and Semi-Arid Land (Asal) counties.

“You cannot purport to lecture this administration on drought mitigation when your own record is questionable. Let him stop bringing politics into matters of drought because they do not understand anything about drought. They should look for something else to politicise,” the DP said.

He questioned Gachagua’s record when he was in government.

“He was in government the other day. What has changed now? This government is focused on solving Kenyans’ problems one by one, step by step, under President William Ruto’s leadership,” he said.

Gachagua, while addressing the media on Tuesday at the DCP party headquarters in Nairobi, accused the government of mismanaging public funds and failing to allocate adequate resources to drought response efforts.

He alleged that the Sh4 billion recently set aside for drought mitigation was insufficient and claimed leaders from the region were engaged in the plunder of public funds at the expense of suffering residents.

However, Kindiki defended the government’s interventions, stating that substantial funds have already been allocated to support affected counties.

“In December, President Ruto authorised Sh2.5 billion for drought response. In January, he again authorised Sh3.5 billion. Yesterday, another Sh4.1 billion was released. In total, we are talking of over Sh10 billion that this administration has released and continues to release on a month-by-month basis until we achieve full recovery,” he said.

The DP said the government is pursuing long-term solutions to end recurring drought crises, including the establishment of a National Infrastructure Fund to facilitate the construction of dams and water harvesting systems.

“For the first time, President Ruto has introduced a permanent solution to the drought situation by setting up a national infrastructure fund that will help build enough dams and harvest sufficient water for irrigation so that we can permanently deal with drought,” Kindiki said.

The Deputy President reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting drought-affected communities, assuring residents that relief and recovery efforts will continue until normalcy is restored.

President William Ruto during the launch of Nyota funds in Garissa county /STEPHEN ASTARIKO

Beneficiaries of the Nyota funds at the Garissa High School /STEPHEN ASTARIKO