President Ruto is a populist, do not believe what he says - Gathoni Wa Muchomba

Githunguri Member of Parliament Gathoni Wa Muchomba has maintained her criticism on President William Ruto, accusing him of abandoning his campaign manifesto.

Wa Muchomba, in an interview with Citizen Digital openly questioned Ruto’s promise to provide chapati to schoolchildren in Nairobi, labeling it as unrealistic and populist.

“We have a president who is a populist, and unfortunately, this does not augur well. All he is doing is promising popular projects that he cannot deliver. Promising the people of Nairobi chapati is simplistic. If he cannot even feed his military for lunch, what capacity does he have to feed the children of Nairobi?” she posed.

Wa Muchomba also accused the Head of State of engaging in divisive politics. She believes the president has shifted from a unifying national agenda.

“He has become a regionalist politician. He realized that Kenyans are one and that tribalism is no longer a viable political strategy, so he replaced it with the hustlers versus dynasties narrative. Now that it is not working, he is resorting to even more simplistic tactics and strategy based on classism,” she said.

She went on to brand the President’s leadership approach as ‘deceptive’.

“The president makes me interpret that he was a con when he does not deliver on his promises. He was not the man I believed in. The whole campaign was a con game. I want to tell Kenyans never to believe what William Ruto says because he is an orator who does not assimilate what he preaches,” she said.

The legislator, who was first elected as Kiambu Woman Representative, believes she has changed the political landscape by using her platform to amplify critical issues affecting Kenyans.

“Nothing has changed in me. The Gathoni who fought for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the one who was summoned to State House three times during President Kibaki’s regime, is still the same today. Do you know former President Moi gave an executive order to shut down the station I was working for? He even demanded that I speak in Kiswahili for a whole month on a Kikuyu-language station,” she said.

However, Wa Muchomba’s defiance and unwavering commitment to her principles have made her cross paths with political forces. Recently, she was removed from her position as the Chairperson of the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee in Parliament. A move she describes as politically motivated.

“The push was politically engineered. I have been a very vocal MP, and I refused to conform to certain expectations, including supporting the controversial Finance Bill. As the chair of the committee overseeing the implementation of the constitution, I could not endorse an unconstitutional bill,” she said.

Additionally, she alleges that her oversight of the National Land Commission (NLC) also contributed to her removal.

“I refused to rubber-stamp questionable dealings. My job was to ensure the constitution was upheld, and I stood by that,” she said.

Recently named the best-performing MP by Infotrak Kenya, the Githunguri legislator attributes her success to hands-on approach and dedication to service delivery.

“I have established a central kitchen that accommodates cooking for 25,000 children. Currently, we are feeding 22,000 children every single day. This is one project I am incredibly proud of,” she stated.