State House insiders tipped me off on Ruto's address - Gachagua claims

Speaking during a one-on-one conversation with political analyst Herman Manyora, Gachagua said his sources inside government alerted him that Ruto intended to use the address to divert Kenyans' attention from the challenges facing the country by unveiling a long-term development vision.

He claimed the original plan was to present a 'Vision 2060' before it was changed to a 'post-2030 vision', arguing that the change did not alter the substance of what the President intended to announce.

"On Thursday morning, I got information from my sources. I have many sources. I was in government for many years. Many people are quite concerned about what is happening in the country, especially the civil service. They are patriotic men and women who feel terrible when the country is going down at a high speed, and they've taken it upon themselves to alert me when there's danger," Gachagua said.

"I want to thank the informants. I've asked civil servants, police, National Intelligence Service, people working in parastatals to preserve my credibility because it's good for this country so that I retain my relevance and people can continue believing in me."

He further claimed that the information he received came directly from State House, alleging widespread dissatisfaction among government employees.

"It came from his office, right inside State House. People are very dissatisfied," he claimed.

"There's a lot of dissatisfaction around the President. People working in the Presidential Delivery Service are complaining. The President is too busy to know what's going on. He's not busy working for the country but for himself." 

Gachagua also defended his decision to speak publicly about information he receives from his sources, saying Kenyans had come to trust him because of his experience working closely with Ruto.

He said his experience as Ruto's deputy gave him an understanding of the President's leadership style and claimed he was not afraid to challenge him.

"Kenyans are very resourceful people and love their country. They have a lot of information but few people to trust. Along the way, I have earned their trust. If you give me information, I am one man who doesn't fear Ruto, no matter how sensitive the information is," he said.

However, the former DP noted that he does not immediately release all the information he receives, claiming that he carries out checks before making public allegations.

"I'm also very careful. I have a lot of information and I sometimes don't rush into it. I do a lot of cross-checking because the day I will mislead Kenyans, I will lose my credibility," Gachagua highlighted.

Hours before President Ruto delivered the State of the Nation Address on Thursday, July 30, Gachagua appeared to pre-empt his speech by warning that the Head of State would unveil Vision 2060 instead of working to fulfill his manifesto. 

"That vision is something we will plan next year. Why are you worried about the next 60 years? Tell us what you have done in the last one year," Gachagua stated while addressing the clergy at his Nyeri home. 

During the special national address, President Ruto appealed to the country to chart a new long-term economic path beyond Vision 2030 while touting his administration's economic record.