NAIROBI — Security forces surrounded the residences of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Sunday night, as the government moved to arrest him over alleged involvement in last year’s deadly “Occupy Parliament” protests, according to Belgut MP Nelson Koech.
Speaking during a Monday morning interview on Citizen TV, MP Koech claimed that Gachagua, along with several unnamed members of parliament, is facing imminent charges related to the June 25, 2024, protests that saw demonstrators storm Parliament.
“Rigathi Gachagua, as we are talking right now, including a few members of parliament, are about to be charged for what happened last year on June 25. The invasion of parliament and the chaos after, and the act itself, include Rigathi Gachagua,” Koech stated.
The move comes days after Gachagua made controversial statements about the upcoming 2027 general elections, warning that any attempt to manipulate the electoral process could lead to violence worse than the 2007/2008 post-election crisis that claimed over 1,000 lives.
“With the mood in the country, if that IEBC tries to mess with the elections, there will be no country here. I want to tell you that 2007 will look like a Christmas party,” Gachagua reportedly said on Friday, referring to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Koech alleged that authorities view Gachagua as a threat because of his inflammatory rhetoric.
“When he issues another statement, it is not taken lightly because this is someone who has the capability of causing chaos, not by any power that he has, but through his tongue,” he said.
Government officials, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, have publicly denounced Gachagua’s remarks, promising legal action against anyone threatening peace during the upcoming elections.
Gachagua has since attempted to clarify his statements, claiming they were taken out of context.
“I never said there would be chaos in Kenya. What I said is that, according to the concerns being raised by Kenyans, there must be no attempts to rig the elections—so that we avoid a repeat of the tragic events of 2007/2008,” he explained during a church service in Murang’a County on Sunday.
By Sunday night, police had surrounded Gachagua’s homes in both Karen, Nairobi, and in Nyeri County, according to reports.
The June 2024 “Gen Z” protests, which the government is now linking to Gachagua, saw young Kenyans storm Parliament buildings in demonstrations that turned violent, resulting in multiple casualties.
The potential arrest of Gachagua comes amid heightened political tensions in the region, highlighted by the recent deportation of opposition figure Martha Karua from neighboring Tanzania, where she was attempting to attend court proceedings for Tanzanian opposition politician Tundu Lissu.
Koech, who also chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, commented on Karua’s deportation during the same interview, suggesting she should “focus on Kenya” rather than involving herself in matters across East Africa.
