Members of Parliament aligned to the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) and the People of the Republic of Kenya have intensified their criticism of President William Ruto, demanding that his administration provide a comprehensive account of its four-year record in office.
The lawmakers, in a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, August 13, 2026, challenged government allies to respond directly to the issues raised by former Deputy President and DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua during his widely publicised “Ruto@4” accountability and performance audit address on August 11.
Gachagua’s address has since triggered a political counterattack from leaders allied to President Ruto, with both sides trading accusations over the government's record since 2022. Current reporting shows that the debate has shifted from Gachagua’s speech itself to demands for evidence and a point-by-point assessment of President Ruto’s performance.
The DCP-aligned lawmakers, however, accused the government of avoiding the substantive issues raised by Gachagua.
“For the last two days, the broad-based choir failed to address the substantive issues raised by H.E. Rigathi Gachagua for and on behalf of the people of Kenya,” the MPs said.
“They chose to dwell on petty, trivial matters that are best characterized as rumors.”
‘Don’t tell us about Rigathi Gachagua’
The lawmakers challenged President Ruto’s allies to stop focusing on Gachagua’s past position in government and instead respond to the claims contained in his four-year assessment.
“Don't tell us about Rigathi Gachagua. Tell Kenyans about William Ruto's four-year Presidency,” they said.
They demanded that the government identify specific claims made by Gachagua that it considers false and provide evidence.
“To the government mandarins, which substantive claims in the 40-page address are false? Provide evidence,” the statement reads.
Gachagua, who served as Deputy President before his political fallout with Ruto, has positioned his “Ruto@4” address as an assessment of the President’s performance since taking office.
The former Deputy President had promised before the address to examine what he viewed as the achievements and failures of the Ruto administration over its four years in power.
Cost of living takes centre stage
At the heart of the DCP lawmakers’ challenge is the question of whether ordinary Kenyans are financially better off than they were in September 2022.
“Are ordinary Kenyans better off today than they were in September 2022?” the lawmakers asked.
They demanded figures on household disposable income and purchasing power to demonstrate whether living standards have improved.
The MPs also challenged the government over taxation.
“Has the tax burden on Kenyan households and businesses increased or decreased since 2022?” they asked.
Their questions come amid an increasingly heated political debate over the economic impact of the Ruto administration, with Gachagua having made the cost of living and taxation central themes in his own assessment.
MPs demand answers on Kenya’s public debt
The DCP-aligned lawmakers also put public debt under the spotlight.
“How much debt did Ruto inherit, how much has his government borrowed and what is the debt today?” they asked.
They challenged the government to provide Kenyans with a clear account of the country's debt position rather than relying on political speeches.
The question is likely to remain central to the emerging Ruto@4 political debate, particularly as government officials and Gachagua's allies continue to offer competing assessments of the economy.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has separately challenged Gachagua’s assessment, urging the public and media to scrutinise political claims against verifiable data.
Jobs and businesses
The lawmakers also demanded answers on employment and the performance of Kenyan businesses.
“How many sustainable jobs have actually been created?” they asked.
“What is happening to businesses that are closing or struggling?”
They argued that economic growth should ultimately be measured by what ordinary Kenyans experience in their daily lives.
“Stop giving us speeches and infantile arguments that more Kenyans are taking soda, therefore the economy is good,” the MPs said.
“Kenyans do not eat speeches; Kenyans want money in their pockets.”
They challenged the government to explain whether Kenyans are saving more, retaining more of their income after tax, and whether businesses and farmers are earning better returns.
“Don't just tell Kenyans the economy has grown,” they said.
“Tell us: Are Kenyans saving more? Are they keeping more of their salaries after tax? Are businesses making more money? Are farmers earning better returns? Are young people finding jobs? Are fewer families borrowing merely to survive?”
The lawmakers then delivered a sarcastic political jab at the government's economic messaging.
“The consumption of SODA has only increased in State House. This is what delegations are fed on,” they said.
SHA and healthcare questioned
Healthcare was another major area of concern raised by the MPs.
They challenged the government to demonstrate whether the Social Health Authority (SHA) has delivered better and more affordable healthcare than the previous system.
“Is SHA actually delivering better and more affordable healthcare than what Kenyans had before?” they asked.
They demanded figures on healthcare access, claims and outstanding bills.
The lawmakers also turned their attention to the ongoing nurses’ strike, asking whether President Ruto was aware of the industrial action.
“But let us ask even a more fundamental question: Is Mr. William Ruto aware that nurses in Kenya are on strike? Is he aware? Is he?” they asked.
According to the statement, nurses across Kenya have been on strike since July 29, 2026.
The lawmakers claimed that nurses had been camping at Delta House while seeking an audience with the Council of Governors.
“As we speak, they are at Delta House seeking audience with CoG to no avail,” they said.
Corruption allegations and public expenditure
The MPs also demanded answers to allegations surrounding government expenditure, procurement and businesses allegedly associated with individuals in power.
“Of the specific allegations made by Rigathi concerning government expenditure, procurement and businesses allegedly associated with those in power, which allegation is false?” they asked.
“Identify it and provide the evidence.”
The allegations are political claims made by Gachagua and his allies and should therefore be independently substantiated before being treated as established facts.
The DCP lawmakers nevertheless insisted that the government should directly identify any claims it considers false and provide evidence to counter them.
Abductions, disappearances and killings
The statement also raised questions about reported abductions, disappearances and killings since 2022.
“How many cases have been reported since 2022, how many have been investigated and how many people have been successfully prosecuted?” the MPs asked.
The lawmakers argued that the government owes Kenyans clear answers on cases involving allegations of unlawful arrests, disappearances, torture and deaths.
‘Publish the manifesto scorecard’
The DCP-aligned lawmakers also challenged President Ruto's administration to publish a scorecard showing what has been achieved from the promises made during the 2022 presidential campaign.
“Of the major promises William Ruto made to Kenyans in 2022, which one has been delivered after four years?” they asked.
They said the ultimate question should be whether ordinary Kenyans can identify measurable improvements in their lives.
“If William Ruto deserves another term, what precisely is the measurable improvement in the life of an ordinary Kenyan after four years?” they asked.
‘Rigathi was inside government’
The lawmakers also addressed criticism that Gachagua’s assessment should be dismissed because he was part of the administration he is now criticising.
They acknowledged that Gachagua served inside the government but argued that this should make his claims subject to scrutiny rather than automatically invalidate them.
“Rigathi was inside the government. Precisely. That does not invalidate what he is saying,” they said.
“If a former Deputy President, having served inside an administration, tells Kenyans that certain things happened or were happening, the question is not whether he was there.”
“The question is: IS WHAT HE IS SAYING TRUE OR FALSE?”
Gen Z protests and police brutality
The lawmakers also revived questions surrounding the government's response to the 2024 Gen Z protests.
“Why did you have to kill GenZs on 24th/25th June 2024 and during the Saba Saba protests?” they asked.
“Why were they abducted, tortured and others disappeared?”
These are serious allegations, and the MPs called for answers on the number of reported cases, investigations undertaken and prosecutions secured.
Questions over journalists and Arshad Sharif
The lawmakers also raised concerns about the safety of journalists and the treatment of members of the Fourth Estate.
“Why are members of the 4th estate being harassed?” they asked.
They specifically questioned the circumstances surrounding the October 2022 killing of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya.
“On October 23, 2022, who fatally shot journalist Arshad Sharif, a prominent Pakistani investigative journalist and news anchor?” they asked.
The MPs also questioned the circumstances surrounding Ugandan opposition figure Dr Kizza Besigye.
“Was Dr. Kizza Besigye abducted in Kenya or not and by the Kenyan authorities?” they asked.
Church attacks and unresolved cases
The lawmakers further demanded answers over attacks at churches, including Witima ACK Church, Mwiki and Kasarani PCEA.
“Why haven't the attackers of the Witima ACK church, Mwiki and Kasarani PCEA been arrested or charged yet the evidence has been presented to you?” they asked.
“What more evidence do you want?”
They also raised the case of Dr Victoria Mutiso and questioned authorities over allegations concerning suspects allegedly taken into hiding in Uganda.
“Where are the killers of Dr. Victoria Mutiso?” they asked.
“Didn't you facilitate them into hiding in Uganda?”
The allegations contained in the statement have not been independently established in this article and are presented as claims by the DCP-aligned lawmakers.
‘This is 55 million Kenyans versus one man’
The lawmakers rejected the idea that the dispute should be framed simply as a political battle between Gachagua and MPs supporting President Ruto.
“This discussion of Mr. Ruto@4 is not Rigathi versus Ruto's MPs,” they said.
“This is a government being asked to account to Kenyans for four years in office.”
They added: “It is a question of 55 Million Kenyans vs one man who has decided to single-handedly sink our nation.”
The statement marks another escalation in the political battle surrounding President Ruto’s four-year record as Kenya moves closer to the 2027 General Election.
Ruto@4 debate intensifies
The latest confrontation comes as Gachagua’s assessment continues to dominate political discussions.
His August 11 address focused heavily on what he described as failures of the Ruto administration, including the economy, taxation, debt, healthcare, governance and alleged corruption.
Government officials have pushed back, with Treasury CS John Mbadi challenging Gachagua to substantiate his claims and urging Kenyans to distinguish political rhetoric from verifiable data.
The DCP lawmakers have now turned the challenge around, demanding that the government produce its own comprehensive four-year scorecard.
At the centre of the emerging Ruto@4 battle is therefore a simple question: Has President William Ruto’s administration made the lives of ordinary Kenyans better since 2022?
Gachagua’s allies say the government must answer that question with evidence.
And as the political contest ahead of 2027 gathers momentum, the fight over Ruto’s four-year record is unlikely to end with the August 11 address.
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