Gachagua claims Ruto will be ‘broke’ by 2027 as State House handouts allegedly shrink
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that President William Ruto’s financial muscle will have significantly diminished by the time Kenyans go to the polls in the 2027 General Election.
Speaking to grassroots leaders of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) from Murang’a County on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, Gachagua alleged that the amount of money being given as facilitation to some groups visiting State House had fallen sharply.
According to the former deputy president, some village elders who recently visited State House told him they were surprised to receive KSh3,000 instead of the KSh10,000 they had expected.
“Village elders told me they were shocked that they received only KSh3,000 as facilitation after visiting State House. They had expected KSh10,000,” Gachagua said.
He went on to make a striking prediction about Ruto’s financial position ahead of the next presidential election.
“I told them the president has now become broke. Everybody wants money from him. Everybody knows he is heading home and wants their share. That is why the amount has reduced. I know that by 2027, he will have been completely wiped out financially,” Gachagua stated.
Gachagua links claims to Ol Kalou by-election
Gachagua attributed what he described as the shrinking handouts to increased demands from communities across the country.
He pointed to the recent Ol Kalou by-election, arguing that the level of government activity and spending witnessed in the constituency had created expectations among other communities.
The former deputy president claimed that communities that previously did not demand financial assistance from political leaders were now asking to receive similar treatment.
“After what happened in Ol Kalou, every community now wants its share. People who never used to ask for money are now demanding it because they saw what the government did there,” he said.
Gachagua added:
“Everyone now wants to be treated the same way; if you go to the west, they are demanding the same as Nyanza and other regions.”
His remarks come as the political contest ahead of the 2027 General Election continues to intensify, with opposition and rival political factions seeking to portray government spending and political mobilisation as major issues for voters.
State House facilitation debate
Financial facilitation for groups attending meetings at State House has previously generated public debate.
In September 2025, KUPPET National Chairman Omboko Milemba confirmed that 10,000 teachers who attended a meeting with President Ruto at State House received KSh10,000 each as transport reimbursement. The disclosure put the total reimbursement at approximately KSh100 million.
Milemba, who is also the Emuhaya MP, maintained that the teachers had not travelled to State House simply to receive money, saying the meeting focused on issues affecting the teaching profession, including employment and collective bargaining matters.
The episode subsequently became part of a wider political argument over the use of public resources, facilitation and government outreach.
Gachagua is now suggesting that the demands on the presidency could increase as the 2027 election approaches, potentially placing greater pressure on resources available for political mobilisation.
Linda Mwananchi supporters urged to take the money
The debate over political handouts has also featured prominently among opposition groups associated with the Linda Mwananchi movement.
Leaders allied to the movement have criticised the practice while simultaneously urging their supporters not to reject money offered during political activities.
Supporters have instead been encouraged to accept the cash, use part of it for their immediate needs and contribute the remainder to a fundraising initiative associated with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.
The strategy has added another layer to the growing political battle over money, government projects and voter mobilisation ahead of 2027.
For now, Gachagua’s prediction that Ruto will be “completely wiped out financially” by the next election remains a political claim rather than an independently established assessment of the President’s personal finances.
But with the 2027 contest already taking shape, his remarks are likely to fuel an increasingly fierce debate over the cost of political mobilisation and the resources being deployed to win voters.
Also Read: Kindiki arrives in Tanzania to represent Ruto at major Africa summit