Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has firmly rejected allegations linking him to the recent wave of nationwide protests, terming the claims as baseless and politically motivated.
Responding to speculation that he was among key financiers of the unrest, Gachagua questioned why no arrests had been made if authorities truly had credible intelligence.
“If they had intelligence that goons had been paid by Rigathi or anybody else, why didn’t they arrest these goons?” he asked during a televised interview.
Gachagua also ridiculed claims by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen that the protests were an attempted civilian coup. He dismissed the allegations as an insult to the intelligence of Kenyans and mocked the suggestion that he had any control over the demonstrators.
“If these were my goons, I want to tell you today, they would have been shot dead or be in custody,” he remarked.
In an earlier statement, CS Murkomen had alleged that the protest organisers aimed to seize key state symbols in a bid to stage a symbolic regime change.
“The plan was to take symbols of authority and democracy, which is Parliament and State House, to show that they had achieved some sort of regime change,” Murkomen said.
But Gachagua questioned how such an operation could be allowed to happen if authorities were indeed prepared. He particularly challenged the failure of law enforcement to prevent the takeover of a police station by unarmed civilians.
“If there was such intelligence, why didn’t they act on it?” he asked, further urging Murkomen to “respect the people and stop taking them for fools.”
The DCP party leader also slammed the government’s handling of the situation, accusing it of failing to act during the daytime protests.
“Why were the looters not arrested or shot? If anyone sent them, arrest them. Let’s get the truth,” he added.
President William Ruto, on his part, has condemned the protests, referring to them as “anarchy dressed in freedom colours” and “disorder disguised as democracy.”
In a strongly worded statement, Ruto directed security agencies to launch urgent investigations.
“I expect the Inspector General and all relevant security agencies to conduct immediate, thorough, and speedy investigations,” the president said.
“The perpetrators must be identified, unmasked, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Ruto also warned politicians against exploiting public frustrations to incite violence, saying leadership should be pursued through democratic means.
“Those who want power must convince Kenyans at the ballot, not burn down what others have built,” he said.
