Raila loyalists accuse former DP Rigathi Gachagua of tribal profiling, demand action from NCIC

Raila loyalists accuse former DP Rigathi Gachagua of tribal profiling, demand action from NCIC

The MPs, George Aladwa (Makadara), Elisha Odhiambo (Gem), and Dick Maungu (Luanda), accused Gachagua of fueling tribalism and warned that his remarks could incite ethnic tensions across the country.

Three Members of Parliament affiliated with Raila Odinga’s ODM party on Thursday launched a scathing attack on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of perpetuating tribal politics and undermining national cohesion through divisive rhetoric.

The MPs, George Aladwa (Makadara), Elisha Odhiambo (Gem) and Dick Maungu (Luanda), have accused Gachagua of promoting tribalism and risking ethnic unrest.

They singled out Gachagua for his repeated attacks on the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and its Director-General Noordin Haji, claiming he is driven by bitterness and wants Haji removed simply because he is not from his preferred ethnic group.

"Gachagua's constant attacks on Haji and the National Intelligence Service are informed by his bitterness that the agency is not headed by someone from his preferred tribe," claimed Aladwa.

Aladwa urged the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to investigate Gachagua for profiling public civil servants in high-ranking positions.

"We want him investigated by NCIC because we think he is going rogue. If left unhindered, he might plunge the country into chaos with his divisive remarks," said Aladwa.

Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo warned that attacking and profiling public officials for political reasons could undermine public trust in state institutions.

"If we allow leaders to all the time attack public officials then we are giving room for all manner of accusations to be heaped towards civil servants who are just serving their country," said Odhiambo.

In defence of Omollo, Haji

The leaders also came to the defence of Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, rejecting the criticism directed at him by Gachagua and his allies.

This came as they also criticised blogger Ndiang'ui Kinyagia over what they described as his suspicious reappearance after allegedly going into hiding.

Gachagua has been criticising security agencies and their heads, accusing them of using their powers to play politics rather than perform their duties professionally.

For example, in addition to blaming last year’s attack on Parliament by protesters on what he described as the incompetence of the Haji-led NIS, the outspoken former Deputy President also blamed the alleged mistreatment of Butere Girls High School students in Nakuru this May on what he termed a failure of the country’s intelligence system.

The former Deputy President argued that if the play Echoes of War by Butere Girls was considered inappropriate, the authorities should have intervened right from the start.

He went on to accuse the NIS boss of neglecting his duties, claiming the agency's failure stems from Haji prioritising personal interests over national service.

The former DP has been critical of the NIS on multiple occasions, accusing it of laxity in terms of relaying credible intelligence to President William Ruto.

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