Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja of orchestrating the chaos witnessed at Kariobangi North PCEA Church on Sunday.
Speaking during a thanksgiving ceremony for the newly elected Kariobangi North MCA, David Warui, Gachagua claimed that the President deployed hired goons and police officers to intimidate residents who did not support the UDA candidate during the recent by-election.
“We have reached a point in this country where William Ruto wants to force us to support him through intimidation. He has sent goons and police to assault the people of Kariobangi North simply because they did not elect a UDA candidate,” Gachagua said.
The former DP warned President Ruto that such actions were alienating the Kikuyu community, comparing the alleged intimidation to the colonial-era tactics that fueled resistance movements.
“Each time you send goons to attack leaders and citizens, this community grows to resent you even more. Those advising you are misleading you,” he added.
Gachagua linked the unrest to the Kariobangi North by-election, where the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate won and the UDA candidate finished fourth — a result he said reflected voter dissatisfaction.
Addressing Governor Sakaja directly, Gachagua questioned why he was allegedly allowing himself to be used to intimidate the same people who voted him into office.
“These people voted for you, yet you have turned against them. Now Ruto is sending you with goons to attack this community because he doesn’t want you to succeed,” he said.
The former DP insisted that political loyalty cannot be enforced, maintaining that attempts to force communities to back specific candidates have repeatedly failed.
“You cannot get the support of this community by force. If you ask Ruto about Narok, he will tell you he tried to use intimidation to make the people support a UDA candidate, and they refused,” Gachagua concluded.
