Gachagua alleges deadly plot to kill protesters, warns youth to shun June 25 demos
Gachagua described the plan as a calculated scheme to provoke bloodshed, urging parents and young people to avoid mass action and instead observe the day at home.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has urged the youth to skip the planned June 25 protests, claiming the government is plotting to infiltrate the demonstrations and unleash deadly violence on innocent participants.
Speaking during an interview with Kameme TV on Monday, Gachagua alleged that President William Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja have routinely hired goons during visits to Nairobi and warned that the same groups will be used to target protestors marking the anniversary of last year’s anti-tax demonstrations.
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“I fear that if the youth take to the streets, the government and the governor of Nairobi will use goons. They will be brought from Umoja, Kayole and other places and come to kill the youth,” he claimed.
He described the plan as a calculated scheme to provoke bloodshed, urging parents and young people to avoid mass action and instead observe the day at home.
“The level of desperation William Ruto and his people have is very high, and it is something to think about because these children are ours, and I feel so bad when blood is shed. I would urge them not to come out in the streets because they will be set up and be killed,” he said.
“These people really want to spill the blood of young people. I do not know why this blood is making them happy. Let us not take our children to the slaughterhouse while we watch.”
Ojwang's death protests
Gachagua also referred to last week’s protest in Nairobi’s central business district, where demonstrators demanded the arrest of Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat following the death of Albert Ojwang in police custody. The former DP questioned the government’s account of the events.
“There was no car that was burnt because nobody has filed a report to the police that their car has been torched. The cars were checked in the NTSA (National Transport and Safety Authority) portal, and they were found not to be registered to anyone,” he said.
“It was an attempt to try and bring the police to attack the youth and accuse them of burning the cars.”
His remarks come as civil society and opposition leaders mobilise for a remembrance march on June 25 to honour protesters killed in last year’s demonstrations.
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has called for a peaceful candlelighting vigil outside Parliament Buildings.
“On the 25th of June, Kenyans should go there and light candles in front of the gates, because we must honour the young Kenyans who died or were injured during confrontations with the police,” Musyoka said on Sunday during a church service in Kilifi.
On electoral, Gachagua expressed scepticism over the composition of the newly appointed Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), claiming that Kenya Kwanza loyalists had been installed to oversee the 2027 General Election. However, he assured Kenyans that the vote would not be manipulated.
“Those in office are Ruto’s commissioners, but the law says votes are counted at the polling station. I want to assure my people that elections will not be rigged,” he said.
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Landslide defeat
He predicted a landslide defeat for the Kenya Kwanza administration, saying the opposition would win by over five million votes.
Gachagua also urged Gen Z to prioritise voter registration as a powerful tool to shape the country’s future through the ballot.
He also claimed that President Ruto has been trying to reach out to him personally, but he has chosen not to respond.
“I have no personal issue with Ruto, but he has a problem with the Mt Kenya community. He has tried to call me, but I don’t have time for him,” Gachagua said.
He further alleged that political parties, including Tujibebe, Chama Cha Kazi, and The Service Party, associated with William Kabogo, Moses Kuria, and Mwangi Kiunjuri, respectively, were being used as decoys by the President to divide Mt Kenya politically.
His remarks came a day after President Ruto dismissed efforts by the opposition to make him a one-term President, describing them as lacking in policy substance.
“We cannot hand over to people who have no plans, no programs to take this country forward. Their biggest strength is dividing Kenyans, tribalism, and propagating the politics of shares,” Ruto said during a church service in Kakamega.
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