Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Thursday claimed that his appeal to Kenyans to stay at home during the second anniversary of the June 25, 2024 Gen Z protests helped avert what he described as a planned wave of violence by "state-sponsored goons".
In a lengthy statement, Mr Gachagua alleged that there had been plans to unleash violence on protesters and destroy property, but said Kenyans heeded his call to avoid demonstrations, thereby frustrating the alleged plot.
"I sincerely thank my dear sons and daughters, the Gen Zs, for heeding my plea to avoid death and injury. They had planned to harm you in a big magnitude today," he said.
The former Deputy President further claimed that patriotic police officers and civil servants had tipped him off about the alleged plans, including claims that Sh200 million had been withdrawn to finance criminal gangs.
"It is this information that helped me guide the Gen Zs and Kenyans to avoid death, injury and destruction of property which they had plotted," he said.
Mr Gachagua, however, did not provide evidence to support the allegations.
He also thanked traders and residents for closing businesses and securing their neighbourhoods, saying the move helped prevent looting and destruction.
The former Deputy President linked Thursday's events to the anti-government protests of June 25, 2024, and the July 2025 Saba Saba demonstrations, during which several people were killed and property destroyed.
"Today, 25th June 2026 wasn't just another day in Kenya. We remembered what they did to our children. We shall never forget," he said.
His remarks came a day after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen warned that security agencies had received intelligence reports indicating that organised criminal groups were planning to infiltrate demonstrations and attack people, businesses and public infrastructure.
Mr Murkomen said the government would not tolerate acts of lawlessness disguised as peaceful protests and warned that those involved in violence, looting and destruction of property would face the full force of the law.
The Interior CS also urged Kenyans to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies to safeguard lives and property.
However, Mr Gachagua questioned why the government would publicly acknowledge the threat and yet fail to prevent it. He accused the State of sponsoring criminal gangs and deploying them to cause chaos before blaming opposition leaders and protesters for the violence.
The allegations revive claims that have repeatedly surfaced during anti-government demonstrations over the past two years. Opposition figures have accused the government of using organised groups of young men to infiltrate protests, attack demonstrators and loot businesses, allegations that the State has consistently denied.
The June 25, 2024 demonstrations, organised mainly by Gen Z protesters opposed to the Finance Bill, culminated in protesters breaching Parliament buildings in Nairobi and were followed by a deadly police crackdown. Human rights organisations and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority have since documented deaths, injuries and allegations of excessive use of force by police officers during the protests.
Subsequent demonstrations, including the July 2025 Saba Saba protests, were also marked by confrontations between protesters and security officers, reports of fatalities and widespread destruction of property in parts of the country.
Mr Gachagua urged Kenyans to pursue political change through the ballot rather than street protests and called on citizens to register as voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.
"We shall liberate our country through the mechanism provided for by our Constitution; the ballot," he said.
The former Deputy President also praised police officers who, he said, exercised restraint during Thursday's commemorations and urged security officers not to obey unlawful orders.
The government has previously denied allegations of sponsoring criminal gangs, maintaining that criminal elements exploit demonstrations to engage in violence, loot businesses and attack innocent citizens.
Mr Gachagua's remarks are likely to intensify political tensions as the country heads towards the 2027 General Election, with debates over police accountability, protest management and allegations of state involvement in violence continuing to dominate public discourse.
