“Usiniletee Maneno Ya Mtu Mjinga” Ruto Loses Cool, Refuses to Answer Questions Concerning Gachagua

President William Ruto declined to engage with questions about former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s claims concerning minerals at Mrima Hill in wale County.

The exchange occurred during a media engagement in Mombasa after a journalist sought Ruto’s response to Gachagua’s claims about the estimated value of the deposits.

Gachagua has claimed that the niobium and rare-earth deposits could be worth about Sh8.2 trillion. He has also alleged that Ruto was pursuing an agreement with American interests to exploit the resources, claims that have not been independently established.

When the journalist linked the question to Gachagua’s recent remarks, Ruto interrupted and rejected the attempt to bring the former deputy president into the discussion. The President used insulting language while referring to Gachagua and asked the journalist to move to another subject.

The journalist persisted, explaining that Gachagua had made the claims and wanted the President to respond. Ruto again declined to discuss his former deputy and moved the engagement away from the subject.

The exchange left Gachagua’s specific allegations about the alleged mineral deal unanswered. Ruto did not confirm or deny the former deputy president’s claims during the interaction.

Mrima Hill contains niobium and rare-earth deposits, with government documents outlining significant estimated resources. Kenya is currently using a public tender process to identify a company that could develop the strategic mineral resources.

The mineral deposits have attracted international interest, particularly from the United States, which has said it wants to support local processing and value addition in Kenya. Six companies or consortia have reportedly been involved in the development process, while the proposed arrangements have also faced legal scrutiny.

For now, the President’s response has left questions about the reported Sh8 trillion valuation and proposed exploitation arrangements in the political arena. The underlying mineral development process remains subject to government procedures, legal challenges and further scrutiny.

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