Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua shared details of his new foreign travel arrangement with President William Ruto during the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) women’s congress on Friday. This agreement revolves around both leaders ensuring that they do not concurrently leave the country for foreign trips.
Gachagua stated that when President Ruto travels abroad, he will remain in the country, and when the President returns, he will undertake foreign tours. He emphasized the importance of this arrangement to prevent any mismanagement in their absence.
The Deputy President also reiterated his alignment with President Ruto’s ideologies, which he has consistently voiced in previous public appearances. He expressed the longevity of their friendship, spanning over 20 years, and emphasized the solidity of their relationship, unaffected by any perceived conflicts.
In response to reports suggesting a strained relationship with President Ruto, Gachagua cited instances of his recent collaborations with the President, including attending a National Security Council meeting and proposing policies that President Ruto subsequently ratified.
Furthermore, Gachagua assured that he would represent President Ruto at various events in different counties before the President’s scheduled visit to China. He affirmed the government’s stability and unity under President Ruto’s leadership and dismissed any claims of division or conflict.
Gachagua defended the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) by stating that it would not meet the same fate as previous parties that formed governments in the past. He underlined the party’s growth and its significance as a formidable force in the future, with a particular focus on prioritizing women within the party to protect their children from issues like alcohol and drug abuse.
In related news, President Ruto, Deputy President Gachagua, and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi had previously left the country for separate official duties in September 2023. President Ruto attended the 78th UN General Assembly, Deputy President Gachagua participated in the G77 Summit in Columbia, and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi undertook a three-day visit to the United Kingdom.
Additionally, as part of austerity measures, President Ruto reduced unnecessary expenditures, including foreign travel, by more than Ksh71 billion. The government had also suspended foreign travel in five categories for government officials, encompassing benchmarking and study visits, training, research, academic meetings, and symposia.
