Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of presiding over a breakdown of law and order, alleging that gangs, abductions and extrajudicial killings have become entrenched in the country.
Gachagua said the Government had failed to protect citizens and accused State agencies of allowing groups of alleged goons to operate with impunity.
“The Republic of Kenya is in a state of lawlessness and anarchy,” Gachagua said.
“In just four years, there has been a total breakdown of law and order. Goons have taken over and the rule of law has been suspended across the country.”
He further alleged that the Government was involved in concealing cases of killings and abductions, raising the political temperature around the conduct of security agencies as the country moves closer to the 2027 General Election.
“There is also a cover-up of extrajudicial killings and abductions in this country,” Gachagua said.
The former Deputy President has made security and the protection of citizens a central part of his criticism of President William Ruto’s administration, repeatedly accusing the Government of using security agencies to suppress political opposition.
His latest remarks come amid a growing political dispute over the alleged use of organised groups during political activities and public demonstrations.
Gachagua has previously claimed that groups of youths are mobilised to disrupt opposition meetings and intimidate political opponents, while Government officials have accused politicians of sponsoring gangs to cause chaos.
The debate has increasingly drawn the National Police Service into the centre of the political contest.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja has maintained that the police will take action against individuals and groups involved in violence, regardless of their political affiliation.
Kanja has also warned politicians against using criminal groups to advance their interests, saying police operations must be guided by the law.
The Inspector-General has repeatedly directed officers to deal firmly with violence while insisting that police must operate within the law and respect the rights of citizens.
His position has been tested by a series of politically charged incidents in which rival groups have accused one another of deploying goons.
The controversy is not new.
In June 2025, Parliament called on the police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to investigate violence, destruction of property and the alleged mobilisation of mobs and goons during demonstrations.
The National Assembly urged investigators to pursue not only those involved directly in acts of violence but also politicians suspected of planning, financing or mobilising criminal groups.
The debate has continued into 2026, with political leaders from both sides of the divide accusing their opponents of exploiting young people and criminal elements for political purposes.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has previously acknowledged the problem of gangs while warning politicians against sponsoring them.
“Politicians are the quickest ones. They sponsor goons and are quick to say that the CS and the PS must resign,” Murkomen said in an earlier statement.
“How do you expect the police to provide security when you send goons to attack them with clubs?”
Murkomen also directed the police to take action against gangs involved in violence, saying the Government would not allow criminal groups to undermine security.
“Time for talking is over. I have told the Inspector General to send a special team to come here and sweep away those gangs,” he said in the earlier remarks.
The CS has at the same time rejected claims that Kenya has descended into lawlessness, arguing that the Government has strengthened security and that police are responding to criminal activity.
Those assurances have done little to end the political dispute, with the opposition continuing to raise questions about police conduct and accountability.
Gachagua’s latest statement also touches on some of the most sensitive issues facing the country — alleged extrajudicial killings and abductions.
Human rights groups and political leaders have previously called for investigations into cases involving people who have allegedly disappeared or died in circumstances linked to security operations.
The Government has consistently denied sanctioning extrajudicial killings or abductions and has maintained that any police officer found to have acted outside the law should face disciplinary and criminal proceedings.
For Gachagua, however, the issue goes beyond individual cases.
He argues that the alleged failure to hold perpetrators accountable has created an environment in which violence can be deployed for political purposes without consequences.
His accusations come as political parties and leaders begin positioning themselves for the 2027 elections, when security, governance and the protection of civil liberties are expected to feature prominently in campaigns.
Gachagua, who fell out with President Ruto after serving as his deputy, has since established himself as one of the administration’s most persistent critics.
Through his Democracy for the Citizens Party, he has sought to build an alternative political base while attacking the Government over what he describes as failures in governance, the economy and security.
The administration, however, has accused Gachagua and other opposition figures of exaggerating security concerns for political gain.
President Ruto and his allies have repeatedly maintained that Kenya is a constitutional democracy where citizens have the right to protest and criticise the Government, but warned that such freedoms cannot be used as a licence for violence, destruction of property or attacks on security officers.
The competing claims have left the police with a difficult balancing act as political activity increases.
Kanja has insisted that officers must maintain order while operating within the Constitution and respecting citizens’ rights. At the same time, he has warned that anyone involved in violence or criminal activity will face the law.
The question now is whether the political rhetoric over “goons”, abductions and extrajudicial killings will translate into concrete investigations and prosecutions.
For Gachagua, the answer is clear: he believes the State has failed to protect Kenyans and is allowing impunity to take root.
“The Republic of Kenya is in a state of lawlessness and anarchy,” he said.
The Government now faces renewed pressure to demonstrate that the rule of law remains intact and that allegations of political violence, unlawful killings and abductions are being investigated independently, regardless of who is implicated.
