Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has now claimed that the Kenya Kwanza administration did not inherit virtually empty coffers, making a dramatic U-turn from his earlier position.
Speaking during an interview with media personality Oga Obinna on Friday, May 16, 2025, Gachagua asserted that there was some money in the government kitty when Kenya Kwanza assumed office.
While acknowledging the financial strain at the time, Gachagua stated that funds were available to facilitate the smooth running of state affairs.
“To a certain extent, yes, we found empty coffers, but there was enough to get the country started. There was not a surplus or abundance, but there was enough money to get the country back on its feet,” Gachagua said.
His remarks mark a stark departure from his earlier claims that former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration had left no resources and only empty coffers.
During his inauguration in September 2022, Gachagua had declared that it would take time for the country to recover, stating that the new administration had found no money in the Treasury.
At the time, he even remarked that they had not found “even a rat” in the accounts, underscoring how bleak the situation was, and blamed the previous regime for leaving behind a struggling, inflated economy.
“We have talked to the Treasury, and the coffers are empty. We will have to start from scratch,” he had said during the inauguration ceremony at Kasarani, shocking dignitaries in attendance with his blunt criticism of the outgoing administration.
It remains unclear why Gachagua has changed his stance, though the shift may be linked to his recent political manoeuvres aimed at consolidating support in the Mt. Kenya region.
He recently launched the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), which he hopes will help him unify the Mt. Kenya vote bloc—a region that defied Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022 and overwhelmingly voted for Kenya Kwanza.
By Ronald Kipruto
