Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has made explosive claims implicating the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in the deployment of heavily armed, masked officers during the Saba Saba protests held on Monday, July 7.
Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, July 9, Gachagua said the operatives—who arrived at protest hotspots in unmarked Subaru vehicles—were part of a “killer squad” of 101 officers trained and deployed by the NIS.
According to Gachagua, the hooded men were deliberately disguised to appear like agents of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), when in fact they were under the command of the Director-General of NIS.
“A killer squad of 101 that works under the Director-General of the NIS was armed with assault rifles and drove in a convoy of unmarked Subarus, shooting and killing innocent protesters aimlessly in the streets and estates,” said Gachagua.
“They are disguising themselves as DCI officers, yet we know they are not. This is the NIS.”
Gachagua further claimed that the formation of the secret squad happened while he was still in government, alleging that the NIS recruited officers from the Administration Police (AP) unit and trained them in abduction, targeted killings, and cover-up tactics.
“This is the squad that is killing the people of Kenya,” he declared, doubling down on his earlier allegations that President William Ruto’s administration is using state organs to terrorize citizens.
The July 7 protests, held to mark the historic Saba Saba Day, turned deadly, with rights groups and government reports confirming multiple fatalities and dozens of injuries. Eyewitnesses and videos showed masked operatives in unmarked Subarus firing at protesters, sparking widespread public outrage.
While the National Police Service and Interior Ministry have not confirmed the existence of such a special unit, critics have called for an independent investigation into the events and the alleged misuse of elite security teams.
Gachagua’s revelations come amid mounting pressure on the government to account for alleged extrajudicial killings, abductions, and the militarization of civilian protests. Civil society groups, opposition leaders, and human rights organizations are demanding transparency and an end to what they call state-sponsored repression.
Neither the NIS nor the Directorate of Criminal Investigations has officially responded to Gachagua’s claims.
