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In his first interview since impeachment, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua shed light on an unconventional tactic he used to collect public sentiment about the government’s controversial Affordable Housing Project.
Gachagua, who often faced criticism from the president for his perceived lack of support for some government projects, including the (AHP), revealed how he discreetly gathered intelligence from citizens during project launches.
“When the president started speaking, I would estimate how long he might take — usually 15 to 30 minutes, depending on his mood and the crowd’s reception,” Gachagua said.
With time, I had studied how long he takes so once he starts and I decide that he'll take 25 minutes, I would go and mix with the people when we are launching those projects. They would clearly just say they are not interested.
According to him, this direct interaction with the public provided Gachagua with real-time insights into the unpopularity of the Affordable Housing Project, which faced widespread resistance due to the introduction of the Housing Levy.
Telling the President the Uncomfortable Truth
Gachagua recounted how his intelligence-gathering informed his discussions with the president.
I would tell him hizi manyumba watu hawataki boss. Mimi sitaki kupigana na raiya, unajua wananchi ndio wametuajiri kazi, sasa hii kitu ya manyumba hawataki. (People don't want these houses. I don't want to fight with the citizens, you know the citizens are the ones who hired us to work, and now they don't want this housing thing)
He added that the resistance to the project also played out publicly, such as when President Ruto was recently heckled in Embu for promoting the housing agenda.
Gachagua noted the awkwardness of such moments but acknowledged that they reflected deep-seated frustrations.
He explained that many Kenyans had felt abandoned by Members of Parliament who are their representatives and thus had to engage the president directly, albeit in a very unusual manner
It was very unfortunate because that shouldn't happen ordinarily where people are shouting at the president it's not right. It was very awkward for me but people have reached there because he was talking about housing so passionately to people who believe it is not right.
He explained that the general sentiment among Kenyans was that building houses should be left to the private sector.
He recalled that during the late former President Mwai Kibaki's tenure, the government focused on opening bypasses, building roads, installing electricity, and establishing sewage systems, which led to private sector-led housing development.
He urged that the government should allow the private sector to thrive by focusing on infrastructure development.
He further mentioned that many Kenyans viewed housing as a personal matter and believed individuals should build their houses at their own pace.
Gachagua's Stand on Prioritizing Citizen Needs
The former deputy president painted himself as a “people person” who aligned his stance with the will of the public.
He added that people also wanted the government to address pending bills amounting to approximately Sh900 billion, as they viewed housing as a lower priority and a matter best left to the private sector.
He emphasised that as someone who connects with people, their opinions naturally become his own.
Despite his efforts to communicate public sentiment, Gachagua suggested that the president was often surrounded by individuals reluctant to convey these hard truths.
The former DP also reflected on an incident in Murang’a where mourners rejected condolences from his successor Kithure Kindiki who had sent a representative to deliver his speech at a funeral.
During the event, Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata, on sensing the dissent, also refrained from reading President Ruto's speech and instead handed it over to the family of the deceased.
Gachagua attributed this disconnect to why citizens felt compelled to voice their frustrations directly.
In closing, the former DP’s remarks provide a glimpse into the complexities of navigating public opinion in the implementation of government projects.
His statements also reflect the broader challenge of balancing ambitious development agendas with immediate public priorities.