Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has accused his political opponents of resorting to violence to disrupt opposition meetings, warning that intimidation will not reverse what he described as declining support for the Kenya Kwanza administration.
The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader spoke in Nakuru on Friday as he intensified his political mobilisation in the county, where he is expected to hold a series of public engagements ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“Political violence will not cure the already deteriorating support of our opponents. It is shameful to organise goons to disrupt peaceful meetings,” Gachagua said.
His remarks followed claims that his convoy was attacked in Kaptembwa, in Nakuru Town West Constituency, during his Nakuru tour.
Gachagua alleged that people armed with axes, stones and other crude weapons confronted his entourage as police officers watched.
“Goons organised and paid by Susan Kihika and Samuel Arama attacked our convoy at Kaptembwa, in Nakuru Town West Constituency, with axes, rocks and other crude weapons as police watched,” he said.
The former deputy president claimed the attackers also targeted journalists accompanying his team, but were repulsed by local residents.
“Luckily, wananchi repulsed these thugs and ensured our safety and that of the members of the 4th Estate who were also targeted,” he said.
The allegations came against the backdrop of heightened political activity in Nakuru, with Gachagua using his tour to expand DCP's grassroots presence in the Rift Valley.
On Friday, the former deputy president opened a DCP regional office in Naivasha as part of a wider mobilisation drive in the county. He also addressed residents in Nakuru Town East, where he attacked the government's political strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
Political rivalry
Gachagua's latest accusations have brought the question of political violence back to the centre of the emerging 2027 contest.
His criticism was directed particularly at President William Ruto and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who have pledged to prevent politicians from mobilising groups to disrupt rival political meetings.
“When Mr William Ruto and Mr Kipchumba Murkomen said goons would not be allowed anywhere in the country, it was just another lie, the usual lip service and political posturing,” Gachagua said.
He accused the administration of relying on violence and intimidation to contain political competition, saying his opponents could not stop the growing opposition through force.
“They cannot do without goons,” he said.
The allegations come at a politically sensitive moment, with opposition groups preparing for a major Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay on Sunday.
Gachagua has separately alleged that there is a plan to disrupt the Homa Bay meeting, accusing Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo and Governor Gladys Wanga of plotting to use goons against the opposition. The claims have not been independently established.
Mr Murkomen, however, has warned politicians against mobilising groups to disrupt rival political meetings, saying the National Police Service had been instructed to ensure political activities remain peaceful regardless of political affiliation.
The Interior CS's remarks provide a backdrop to Gachagua's accusations, with the former deputy president arguing that government assurances are not being reflected in what he says is happening on the ground.
Nakuru battleground
The confrontation is significant because of the political importance of Nakuru, which has traditionally been a key battleground in presidential elections.
Gachagua's decision to intensify his activities in the county signals an attempt by DCP to challenge President Ruto's political influence in the Rift Valley and build an opposition base ahead of 2027.
His Nakuru tour comes after a period of increasingly aggressive political mobilisation by competing camps, with leaders seeking to turn public meetings into demonstrations of grassroots support.
Gachagua has also used the tour to challenge President Ruto's assertion that his broad-based coalition must win the 2027 election.
“So when William Ruto says that he must win, that is just wishful thinking,” he said while addressing supporters in Nakuru.
The former deputy president has pointed to the opposition's performance in the recent Ol Kalou by-election as evidence, in his view, that the political landscape is shifting against the administration.
His latest remarks therefore combine two themes that are likely to define his campaign: claims that the government is using state power and political violence against opponents, and the argument that voters are increasingly turning against the Ruto administration.
Gachagua warned that political violence would have consequences beyond the immediate rivalry between politicians, saying it could damage Kenya's image among tourists, foreign visitors, international dignitaries and investors.
“Kenyans, tourists, all foreigners and international dignitaries in Kenya and investors have to accept that goonism is now a way of life and live with it until the next General Election,” he said.
He then turned his attention to the 2027 ballot, saying Kenyans would have the final say on the Ruto administration.
“We get rid of Mr William Ruto and his mafia on 10th August 2027 at the ballot,” he said.
