Ex-Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua says protests were hijacked by state actors to suppress dissent and criminalize youth-led demonstrations
Nairobi – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has rejected claims that he played a role in organizing or financing the June 25 protests that turned violent in Nairobi and other cities. Speaking during a televised interview Friday evening, Gachagua challenged authorities to arrest him if they had credible evidence of his involvement.
“If I truly financed goons, if I am responsible for that chaos, why haven’t they arrested me?” Gachagua asked. “If there was intelligence that I sponsored thugs, what are the police waiting for? Arrest me.”
Gachagua’s remarks followed Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s statement earlier in the day. Murkomen described the protests as a failed attempt to overthrow President William Ruto’s administration. He claimed the demonstrations, led largely by Gen Z activists, had targeted Parliament, State House, and police stations, alleging the involvement of high-level political actors.
According to Murkomen, intelligence reports had uncovered coordination and funding intended to destabilize government institutions.
But Gachagua dismissed those claims as politically motivated. He accused the state of fabricating a coup narrative to deflect attention from public frustration over corruption, poor governance, and rising unemployment.
“If those were my goons, they would be either dead or already in custody,” he said. “This was a stage-managed operation meant to criminalize dissent and silence critics.”
Gachagua also alleged that the state had deliberately allowed looting in downtown Nairobi to discredit the peaceful protests. He claimed that security forces blocked protesters along major roads such as Kiambu and Thika while letting armed individuals into the city center.
“There was a deliberate plot to let chaos unfold in the CBD. That was state-sponsored,” he said.
He further claimed that businesses owned by individuals from specific ethnic communities were singled out for destruction, which he described as politically driven intimidation masked as random violence. He alleged that Nairobi County officials had identified the targeted businesses in advance.
Gachagua questioned the official narrative that protesters stormed police stations to steal firearms, suggesting that such incidents could not have occurred without insider involvement or staging.
“You can’t just walk into a guarded police post and take guns unless you have someone opening the door from the inside,” he said.
He accused the government of refusing to engage with the young people leading the protests and instead responding with force. “The youth are not asking for much. They want jobs, transparency, and a government that listens. Instead, they are met with bullets,” he said.
President Ruto, in a national address Thursday, condemned the unrest and described it as “anarchy disguised as democracy.” He directed police to investigate and arrest those responsible for organizing the protests, insisting that power must only be pursued through democratic elections.
Amnesty International reported that 16 people were killed during the June 25 demonstrations, with more than 400 others injured. The majority of the injuries were linked to police gunfire.
Gachagua said the state’s reaction exposed a broader attempt to use force to quell legitimate grievances.
“This is no longer about me,” he said. “It’s about the soul of the nation. You cannot shoot your way out of responsibility.”
He confirmed that he had suspended all public appearances in honor of those killed and injured during the protests. Calls for accountability and independent investigations into police conduct continue to grow. The government has not yet announced any inquiry into the deaths.
