Gachagua Blames Ruto for Chaos at His Party Launch

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused President William Ruto of sending goons to disrupt the launch of his new party, the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), held in Nairobi on Thursday.

Gachagua claimed this wasn’t the first time government-backed thugs interfered with his events. He listed several incidents, including a church disruption in Nyeri, a funeral attack in Limuru, and an office eviction involving his children in January, all allegedly linked to Ruto’s allies.

“They even attacked my wife and Christians during a prayer meeting. This is no longer politics; it’s intimidation,” Gachagua said.

During the Lavington launch, chaos broke out as his convoy left the venue. Suspected goons tried to block his exit, prompting police to fire into the air to control the crowd.

Gachagua condemned the violence witnessed at the launch of the party, claiming that it was becoming a trend for the state to disrupt his political meetings.

“Stop sending goons to attack me, my family, and supporters. We have rights and freedoms to enjoy like other Kenyans. Like a gentleman, just accept that you lost the trust and support of the people and move on,” Gachagua said.

Interior Cs Kipchumba Murkomen, in a briefing to members of the press, said that preliminary investigations pointed to wrangles over money as the cause of the tensions seen during the launch of the party.

The CS also revealed that the police were not invited to provide security for the event.

“Our National Police Service are carrying out investigations to see what exactly happened when those political leaders were launching their own political party. There is no indication that the National Police Service were notified about this meeting so that they can provide proper security,” Murkomen said.

“Preliminary investigations also indicate that some of the supporters who were invited to come for this function were expecting to be paid some amount, and as a result of fighting over those resources, there was a melee, which unfortunately led to a stampede,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) has pointed an accusing finger at the Interior Cabinet Secretary over the remarks.

In a statement on Friday, May 16, DCP indicated that the violence was sponsored by agents of the state as part of a wider strategy to constrict the democratic space.

“We strongly condemn the incident involving goons who were sent to disrupt the unveiling of our Party at our Head Office yesterday. This shameful act is a clear indication that our political progress is unsettling our opponents,” the party said.

“Kenya is a democratic nation, and every citizen has the constitutional right to associate freely and form political parties. Intimidation tactics and acts of political thuggery have no place in our democracy.”

DCP observed that they were dismayed by the CS’s remarks that the melee that ensued shortly after the event ended arose from a struggle over money to be shared among Gachagua’s supporters, noting that this was not only false but also reckless.

“We are equally shocked by the reckless and baseless statement made by CS Kipchumba Murkomen, claiming that the individuals involved were invited and promised money. Such a statement is not only false but also dangerously irresponsible. It mirrors the same false narrative used when hired goons attempted to disrupt a church event attended by our party leader, Rigathi Gachagua,” DCP noted.

The party equally maintained that their members would not submit to intimidation by the state, and that their mission to capture power in the 2027 polls remains on course.