Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused the government of orchestrating the chaos that erupted at a funeral in Limuru, where suspected goons allegedly attacked mourners.
Gachagua, who attended the burial service, claimed that a specific group targeted him as he headed to his car, pelting it with stones and striking it with iron bars.
“This is a very sad state of affairs and a new low for the State, which was clearly complicit in these actions,” he said.
According to Gachagua, he was forced to leave the venue under a hail of stones. Despite the attack, he vowed to continue standing with Kenyans in their time of need. “We will not be intimidated or scared away. We just hope such a shameful incident will not happen again,” he stated.
The former DP expressed regret that the grieving family of the late Erastus Nduati had to flee for safety in the middle of their sorrow. He recounted that the attackers, armed with stones, machetes, iron bars, and sticks, randomly assaulted mourners, including children. “They even used plastic chairs to attack those present,” he added.
Gachagua also linked the attack to a government decision earlier this week to withdraw the last aspects of his security detail, a move he criticized.
“Although we did not contest this decision, one would expect that any Kenyan who has served at my level in government would be accorded security even after leaving office,” he said. He alleged that the withdrawal was aimed at leaving him vulnerable to incidents like Thursday’s attack.
The chaos reportedly began as former Limuru MP Peter Mwathi addressed the gathering. Mwathi had paused his speech momentarily to retrieve another microphone when the commotion started.
Authorities are yet to respond to Gachagua’s allegations or issue a statement regarding the incident.
