During an interview on Citizen TV’s The Explainer show, Gachagua referenced an amendment bill tabled by U.S. Senator James Risch, which seeks to review Kenya’s non-NATO ally status over concerns about the country’s foreign relations and alleged links to extremist groups.
The former DP disclosed that the meeting took place at Ruto’s request when Hemedti was serving as Sudan’s deputy president, citing that a sitting head of state could not make such a plea.
“President William Ruto has a working relationship with Hemedti, the leader of RSF. I have said that and I have evidence. I am the one who facilitated the meeting between President William Ruto and Hemedti on his request, because diplomatically a President cannot invite a DP to come and visit him and Hemedti at that time was the DP of Sudan,” he stated.
“Ruto called me and had a letter for me to sign to invite Hemedti. I picked him up at the airport, delivered him to Ruto and sat through the discussion,” he stated.
The former deputy president noted that while the meeting was official, the discussion largely revolved around trade.
“It was official, but they (Ruto and Hemedti) were discussing business and trade and gold. Initially, I did not know the purpose of the meeting,” Gachagua revealed.
Further, Gachagua urged his former boss to clarify the alleged links to Al-Shabaab, dismissing Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen’s claims that he was tarnishing the country’s image and that of the police service.
“President William Ruto answered on the issue of China; he has a mouth; he can answer whether he met Al Shabaab or he did not meet Al Shabaab. Kipchumba Murkomen is not the spokesman for William Ruto,” Gachagua asserted.
He also addressed claims of labelling Mandera residents as terrorists, clarifying that his remarks targeted the president.
“After I asked Ruto to explain about the alleged meeting he had with Al-Shabaab in Mandera, some leaders in that area accused me of having called the people of Mandera terrorists. The people of Mandera are very innocent and have nothing to do with these accusations; the accusations are against Ruto,” he explained.
The former DP stated that he had sufficient information on the U.S. investigations and was willing to provide it if requested.
“I have a lot of information that is available to those investigating the matter. It is a matter in the US Senate not Kenya hence I will not volunteer information to a body that is not investigating the matter,” Gachagua remarked.
