Former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has cautioned Deputy President nominee Kithure Kindiki to secure a written agreement with President William Ruto to avoid facing the same fate as impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Speaking in Meru on Saturday, Linturi expressed regret over trusting Ruto without a formal political agreement, unlike other leaders who had negotiated terms through structured agreements.
Linturi highlighted the risks of relying solely on verbal assurances, stating, “When you are well structured in negotiations, you come out stronger, and you cannot be easily targeted.” He lamented that trusting blindly left him vulnerable to being removed from the Cabinet, just as Gachagua was impeached through parliamentary processes.
He also criticized the political climate for penalizing “truthful” individuals, claiming that honesty is often treated as a liability in Kenya’s politics.
“This word truthful has caused a lot of problems in this country, and it has really messed up some of us for being truthful. If you are a truthful person, you are condemned like a drug peddler. For how long shall we continue living in denial? We must make a decision, whether to continue saying the truth or we keep lying to each other,” Linturi said.
He said this is why it was easy to kick him out of Cabinet, and to impeach Gachagua through Parliament. Linturi hinted that he will vie for Meru Governor in the 2027 election, saying he has been a politician all along and is now jobless.
Linturi was sacked as CS when Ruto made changes to his cabinet following Gen Z protests over the unpopular Finance Bill 2024.
