Nairobi– Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused the government of plotting to kill him, in a dramatic escalation of Kenya’s deepening political rift.
Speaking from Nairobi on Monday, Gachagua claimed he had received credible intelligence that President William Ruto had ordered security forces to “deal with him once and for all.” The alleged plan, he said, involved a covert squad made up of elite officers under the command of the National Intelligence Service.
“I was informed on Sunday morning, while attending a church service in Gatanga, that my life was in immediate danger,” Gachagua said in a written statement. “This was not hearsay. The information came from senior officers who sympathise with my cause.”
Gachagua said the supposed plot included plans to plant weapons in his convoy, arrest him on trumped-up charges, and even poison him using airborne chemicals that would slowly paralyse his brain.
“These are not just threats. They are acts of war against a political opponent,” he said.
Government Yet to Respond
As of Monday evening, the Ruto administration had not formally responded to the claims. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and police spokespersons remained silent, despite requests for comment.
There has been no independent confirmation of Gachagua’s allegations, and they remain unverified. However, the accusations come amid growing tensions within the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), where Gachagua has positioned himself as a fierce critic of the president’s inner circle.
His claims are the most serious yet in a political feud that has unfolded over months, marked by public spats, localised violence, and allegations of state interference.
A Pattern of Escalation?
Gachagua alleged that Sunday’s events were not isolated. Since November 2024, he said, his rallies and appearances across central Kenya have been disrupted by “state-sponsored goons,” sometimes violently. He blamed the Ministry of Interior for failing to investigate the incidents.
Interior Minister Murkomen had earlier dismissed such disruptions as “internal squabbles over handouts” within Gachagua’s Democratic Change Party (DCP). But Gachagua fired back: “We do not pay people to attend rallies. Ours is an organic movement. The chaos is orchestrated.”
His grievances also include longstanding political disputes. He accused President Ruto of being haunted by past atrocities, including the 2007 Kiambaa church massacre, and of retaliating against him for speaking openly about land grabs and historical injustices.
‘This Is Bigger Than Me’
Despite the danger he claims to face, Gachagua said he would not back down. “The struggle is not about me,” he said. “It is about millions of Kenyans who want change who want justice, clean government, better roads, and an end to extrajudicial killings.”
The former deputy president has warned that attempts to silence him could fuel unrest ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to uphold its duty and ensure credible elections, referencing past votes in 1992, 1997, and 2007 as examples of what happens when democratic processes fail.
“I am sounding the alarm early,” Gachagua said. “Let the world take note.”
A High-Stakes Standoff
If Gachagua’s allegations are true, they point to a dangerous turn in Kenyan politics one where old wounds, power struggles, and personal rivalries threaten to destabilize a fragile democracy.
If they are not, they reflect an equally disturbing trend: a deep mistrust in state institutions, a belief that the rule of law no longer protects everyone equally, and a growing sense that the country is sliding into a political crisis with no clear way out.
Either way, the stakes are rising. And for now, Kenya’s political future remains on uncertain ground.
