Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused the government of sponsoring criminal gangs and challenged Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen to prevent planned violence instead of merely warning about it.
In a statement on Thursday, Mr Gachagua claimed that the government had prior knowledge of planned attacks by goons and should therefore stop them before they occur.
"If the government knows goons will attack citizens and businesses, then it should ensure that it does not happen because it has sufficient capacity to stop them and arrest those involved," he said.
Mr Gachagua was responding to remarks by Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, who said intelligence reports indicated that criminal groups were planning to infiltrate demonstrations and attack people and property.
However, the former Deputy President questioned why the government would publicly acknowledge the threat but fail to prevent it.
"What has he done about it? If he is aware of their plans, why can't he stop them?" he posed.
Mr Gachagua further alleged that the gangs were state-sponsored and were being deployed to cause chaos before opposition leaders are blamed for the violence. He claimed that police had been instructed to allow the gangs to wreak havoc before making arrests.
"There will be stage-managed attacks on leaders allied to the government and opposition leaders will then be accused of inciting violence. The script is so clear," he said.
He also accused Mr Murkomen of overstepping his mandate by discussing police operations, arguing that the National Police Service is constitutionally independent and that operational matters should be left to the Inspector-General of Police.
"He has taken over the National Police Service and created a parallel command structure. He has introduced goonism into the police service," Mr Gachagua alleged.
In his strongest accusation, the former Deputy President claimed that criminal gangs often operate with impunity because they enjoy state protection.
"Goons terrorise Kenyans with impunity and are never arrested because they are state-sponsored," he said.
The remarks add another layer of tension to the increasingly bitter fallout between Mr Gachagua and President William Ruto's administration, with the former Deputy President emerging as one of the government's fiercest critics.
Neither the Interior Ministry nor the National Police Service had responded to Mr Gachagua's allegations by the time of publication.
The accusations come amid heightened political anxiety and growing concerns over security ahead of planned demonstrations.
Critics of the Kenya Kwanza administration, including Mr Gachagua and several opposition leaders, have repeatedly accused the government of using criminal gangs to infiltrate protests and disrupt opposition activities.
The allegations have surfaced during several anti-government demonstrations over the past two years, with opposition figures claiming that groups of young men armed with clubs and stones have appeared at protest sites, attacked demonstrators, looted businesses and, in some instances, operated in close proximity to police officers.
Opposition leaders have also cited incidents in Nairobi and other major towns where political meetings and demonstrations were allegedly disrupted by organised groups. They claim that the individuals were transported to strategic locations to provoke violence, create chaos and provide grounds for subsequent police crackdowns on demonstrations.
In his latest statement, Mr Gachagua alleged that the government's strategy is to allow such groups to wreak havoc before blaming opposition politicians for financing the violence. He further claimed that there would be "stage-managed attacks" on leaders allied to the government to generate public sympathy and shift blame to political opponents.
However, he did not provide evidence to support the allegations.
The government has consistently denied claims that it sponsors criminal gangs. State officials maintain that criminal elements exploit demonstrations to engage in violence, loot businesses and attack innocent citizens. Security agencies say their interventions are aimed at restoring order and protecting lives and property.
The renewed accusations are likely to reignite debate over police accountability, the handling of protests and claims by opposition figures that state institutions are increasingly being drawn into political contestation.
