Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has petitioned the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks he claims amount to ethnic profiling and could undermine national cohesion.
In a letter dated July 27, 2026, Cherargei asked the Commission to examine statements made by Gachagua during political rallies, media interviews and press briefings, arguing that the remarks have associated members of the Kalenjin community with criminality, insecurity and organised violence.
“The statements have given rise to allegations of ethnic profiling and the association of members of the Kalenjin community with criminality, insecurity and organized violence,” Cherargei wrote.
The senator based his request on Article 27 of the Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on ethnic grounds, and Article 33, which excludes hate speech and ethnic incitement from constitutional protection of free expression.
He also cited provisions of the National Cohesion and Integration Act, which criminalise speech likely to incite ethnic hatred.
At the centre of the complaint is a statement Gachagua allegedly made following the reported abduction of Juja MP George Koimburi. Cherargei attached what he described as a video recording and transcript of the remarks to support his petition.
According to the senator, Gachagua alleged that President William Ruto, the Interior Cabinet Secretary and the Deputy Inspector General of Police, all of whom he identified as members of the Kalenjin community, had established a special squad to target government critics.
Cherargei further claimed that Gachagua alleged the unit comprised 20 police officers drawn from the Nandi community and operated under the direct command of the Deputy Inspector General.
The senator argued that, regardless of whether the allegations were true, publicly linking an entire community to such claims risked reinforcing ethnic stereotypes and fuelling suspicion.
He further contended that the remarks formed part of a broader pattern in which Gachagua had repeatedly referenced the 2007/2008 post-election violence in a manner that portrayed the Kalenjin community negatively.
Cherargei has asked the NCIC to review the original recordings, establish the context in which the remarks were made and determine whether Gachagua violated laws governing hate speech and ethnic incitement before taking appropriate legal action.
The senator said his petition comes at a critical time as the country prepares for the next General Election, warning that Kenya’s history demonstrates how ethnically charged political rhetoric can threaten peace during election periods.
