In a press briefing on Tuesday as Nairobi hosts the Africa Forward Summit, Gachagua claimed President Ruto has hosted world leaders to seek political “affirmation” and a “reprieve” from domestic pressure, arguing the summit is a “sideshow” that will not benefit ordinary Kenyans.
“We thank the UN Secretary General for coming to Nairobi so that we address him from here on the danger that the Horn of Africa faces courtesy of his host Mr. William Ruto,” Gachagua said.
He accused the government of political intolerance and alleged Kenya risks instability ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“Mr Guterres, be informed that President William Ruto is the greatest threat to Kenyan democracy and human rights violations,” he said.
Gachagua also alleged Kenya has become “a global hub for abductions [and] human trafficking,” claiming asylum seekers and foreign nationals have been targeted in what he described as transnational repression.
He cited the cases of Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye, Turkish asylum seekers, and Tanzanian journalist Maria Sarungi, whom he claimed was abducted in Nairobi in 2025.
He further alleged the President is involved in regional conflicts, including Sudan, and renewed calls for UN Security Council accountability in the crisis.
Turning to Kenya-France ties, Gachagua claimed that compensation paid to French firms after the cancellation of a Nairobi-Nakuru-Mau Summit road contract was irregular.
He said French firms had been awarded a Ksh159.27 billion contract on September 30, 2020 under the Uhuru Kenyatta administration but the project was cancelled by the Ruto administration before works began.
He claimed the Auditor General had flagged the diversion of between Ksh7.3 billion and Ksh7.5 billion from the Fuel Levy Fund to pay compensation linked to the cancelled Rironi-Mau Summit toll road contract, alleging the project was later handed to a Chinese contractor at a higher cost despite a reduced scope.
“Mr Emmanuel Macron, you are an accomplice,” Gachagua claimed.
The claims come after President Ruto and President Macron oversaw the signing of 11 memoranda of understanding worth about Ksh150 billion aimed at supporting infrastructure and energy projects, including a Ksh104 billion deal to renovate and expand the Port of Mombasa, with French logistics firm CMA CGM committing 700 million euros to refurbish two terminals.
“CMA CGM has agreed to renovate two terminals at the Mombasa Port at a total investment of 700 million euros,” Macron said.
France also committed to expand the Kipeto wind power project by an additional 100 megawatts at a cost of about Ksh32.5 billion, with Macron saying the overall package of projects would be worth about one billion euros.
