Bunge La Wananchi raises alarm over political violence targeting Ruto critics

Members of Bunge La Wananchi have expressed concern over the rising cases of political violence targeting critics of President William Ruto.

Speaking during a sitting held at Nairobi’s Jeevanjee Gardens, the group warned that if the trend is not curbed, the violence could escalate and destabilise the country ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Robert Kiberenge, Chairperson of Bunge La Wananchi, strongly condemned the use of violence in politics and urged both the government and political actors to uphold democratic values. He was reacting to Thursday’s incident in which former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s party launch was violently disrupted by unidentified youths.

“We must all agree that political thuggery has no place in today’s democracy. Politicians must exercise civility and tolerance at all times, as that is the only path to peace,” Kiberenge stated.

He criticised President Ruto’s administration for what he termed increasing intolerance to dissent, and called on the Head of State to uphold the political rights and freedoms of all citizens. Kiberenge also appealed to all political stakeholders to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to ensure that political events are not infiltrated by hired goons.

“Even as we call on President Ruto to respect constitutional rights and freedoms, all political players must work hand in hand with the police, whom we expect to remain impartial at all times,” he added.

His sentiments were echoed by Salim Ng’ang’a, who reiterated that political violence in any form must not be tolerated. He warned that government officials risk being held responsible if violence is perceived to be state-sponsored.

Following the chaos at the event, Gachagua accused President Ruto of orchestrating the disruption of his Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) launch, alleging that the government had deployed hired goons to sabotage him.

In a statement, Gachagua challenged President Ruto to accept that he had lost the trust and support of many Kenyans.

The former Deputy President further claimed that this was not the first time his events had been targeted. He recounted an incident at a funeral in Limuru, Kiambu County, where he was allegedly attacked by goons under police escort.

In another instance, Gachagua said hired thugs linked to a senior Mt Kenya politician—allegedly allied to Ruto—disrupted a church event in Nyeri County.

“You deployed the leader of a criminal gang, whom you’ve been working with in the Mt Kenya region, to support you. They attacked my wife and congregants during a prayer meeting in Nyeri, desecrating the altar of God in the process,” Gachagua claimed.

However, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen offered a different explanation. Speaking about the incident, Murkomen said preliminary investigations indicated that the chaos stemmed from a disagreement among Gachagua’s supporters over unpaid allowances.

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“Initial findings show that some supporters were expecting payment, and when that didn’t materialise, a scuffle broke out, resulting in a stampede,” Murkomen said.

He urged political leaders to inform the police in advance about planned political events to enable proper security arrangements and prevent such disturbances.