Gachagua dares gov't to arrest him amid allegations of political incitement

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has challenged the government to arrest him if he has broken the law, amid allegations of political incitement.

Addressing journalists in Nairobi on Monday, Gachagua responded to recent remarks by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen, which suggested that he is not immune to arrest and could face charges over alleged incitement.

Their remarks followed utterances made by Gachagua in a televised interview on Friday last week in which he warned that there would be dire consequences if the 2027 general elections are rigged, including the possibility of violence worse than what was witnessed after the 2007 polls.

"If the government knows that I have committed a crime known under the laws of Kenya and identified within the Penal Code, they know where my home is... and I am here, they know my Wamunyoro home. The drama of waylaying us on the roads should stop," Gachagua said.

Gachagua also stated that he has not received any official summons from any government agency regarding his remarks, but affirmed that he would comply if formally summoned.

He claimed President Ruto assembled a killer squad drawn from the National Intelligence Service, Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU), GSU and general police to assassinate him, yet he had been targeted in orchestrated violence since November 2024, with claims of the government's involvement.

He said, despite undergoing attacks of "great magnitude" together with his family and those who support his cause, Ruto's administration has failed to take any action against perpetrators.

"I urge them to walk the talk," Gachagua said, referencing Murkomen's pledge to uphold peace and law and order.

DCP Party Leader Rigathi Gachagua: The one-term movement and the DCP party popularity will not be stopped and will not be slowed down. All the leaders wasting time and resources to stop me is a zero-sum game. The people of the Republic of Kenya have said that lies must stop,… pic.twitter.com/h7JT8AvFXt

— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) May 19, 2025

In his address, he detailed several incidents, including an attack at a funeral in Limuru, Kiambu County, on November 28, 2024.

He also claimed police fired tear gas at him during a December 28 rally in Nyandarua and again on March 23, 2025, when his convoy was reportedly assaulted at a church compound in Nyeri.

He strongly rubbished Murkomen's view that the chaos witnessed at the recent Democratic Change Party (DCP) unveiling event was the result of internal wrangles over handouts.

"We dismiss with contempt the loose talk by the CS that goons who dared to cause chaos were fighting over handouts from us," Gachagua stated.

Sunday raid

Reports indicate that Gachagua may have gone into hiding on Sunday evening after getting word that police were planning to arrest him. Additional reports state that police officers allegedly raided Gachagua's residence in Nyeri and Nairobi in the wee hours of Monday morning.

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According to Gachagua's close allies, the move was part of a wider operation by state agencies to hunt down the former DP following the said remarks he made, which have been deemed inciteful by government officials.

According to his lawyer, Ndegwa Njiru, officers drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) took control of Gachagua's homes in Karen and Wamunyoro without explanation.

"To all media houses, kindly be informed that the DCI has taken over all Rigathi Gachagua's [homes] both in Karen and at Wamunyoro. They are currently hunting for him. We are yet to be informed of the reason," Njiru said on Monday.

Subsequently, the former DP questioned why police would try to arrest him in secret and asked them to come to his home openly if they believed he had done something wrong.