Rigathi Gachagua: Hustlers Are Happy With William Ruto, Ignore Opinion Polls

• Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua claimed that hustlers are committed to supporting William Ruto despite the contradicting opinion polls
• Gachagua urged the Cabinet ministers to give a deaf ear to 'noisemakers' who are underrating their performances
• He stated that the conflicting polls have never swayed the president and him because they neither focus on nor listen to them

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has urged Cabinet secretaries to ignore opinion polls and instead focus on their mandates.

Speaking during the launch of the construction works for the Riruta-Ngong Commuter Rail line in Ngong, Kajiado county, on Friday, December 15, Gachagua claimed that the poll results were unnecessary and that focusing on them would limit performances.

"CS for Transport; focus on your job. If you listen to these people making noise, you will be stuck. If President William Ruto and I listened to those people, this country would not have taken any steps. We just ignore it. Just focus on your roles," he advised Kipchumba Murkomen, who has been on the spot over alleged incompetence.

Why Gachagua does not believe in opinion polls

The second-in-command claimed that the polls were paradoxical and intended to intimidate and undermine the leaders' efforts.

"In 2017, they said Raila Odinga would win the elections; did he succeed? In 2022, they echoed the same sentiments. Ignore those things. They have no meaning. The same opinion polls said hustlers are disappointed in Ruto. The same people revealed that the most popular party is UDA. Now, who leads UDA? Is it not the president? Those things are contradictory," he argued.

The UDA politician also informed the CSs that the top leadership has remained steadfast in carrying out its duties and has not been swayed by the polls.

“We have never been persuaded by those opinion polls and we are not about to start listening to them,” he said.

He emphasised that the president who issued the mandates is well-informed about the efforts made by the CSs to transform the country.

Kenyans unhappy with Ruto, TIFA reports

In the latest survey by TIFA, Kenyans who backed up the president to win the August 9 2022 polls expressed their fury after Ruto failed to satisfy their expectations.

The polls indicated that the head of state had failed to adequately address the cost of living, corruption, and job creation, among other challenges that have brought many lives to a halt.

According to the research, 87% of Kenyans had reduced personal expenditures due to the high cost of living.