Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has voiced his concerns regarding the alleged misuse of the criminal justice system to manage political affairs in Kenya. Speaking at a press conference in Mombasa, Gachagua emphasized the Kenya Kwanza administration’s promise to ensure that Kenyans could freely criticize the government without fear of retaliation from state agencies.
“This was a promise that both the President and I made. We want to call the overzealous heads of security agencies not to be tempted to use the criminal justice system to manage politics. Let us manage politics the conventional way through reaching out, consensus, and concurrence,” he stated.
Gachagua revealed that some MPs who voted against the recent Finance Bill have been targeted by security agencies for harassment. He reiterated the administration’s commitment to preventing the use of the criminal justice system for political purposes, as well as eliminating abductions and extrajudicial killings.
“Sadly, this is back. It is unbelievable that the son of the Attorney General of Kenya was abducted in a commando style by officers of the National Intelligence Service and held incommunicado for 18 hours,” he added.
Gachagua urged law enforcement agencies to honor the promises made by the President and himself, and not to revert to the oppressive practices of the past. He accused the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of spreading lies and propaganda to blame leaders, including him, for recent chaos.
He concluded by pleading with security agencies to avoid returning to the repressive tactics reminiscent of the Nyayo era.
