Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has sharply accused President William Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja of planning the unrest witnessed at Kariobangi North PCEA church on Sunday, saying the chaos was meant to intimidate residents who rejected the ruling party’s candidate in the recent by-election.
Speaking at a Thanksgiving ceremony for newly elected Kariobangi North MCA David Warui, Gachagua said the government had turned to threats and violence to suppress opposition voices.
He claimed that the disorder was not spontaneous but a deliberate attempt to punish the community for voting for the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate.
Gachagua insisted that President Ruto was applying pressure to force political loyalty, something he said would only increase public anger.
“We have reached a point in the Republic of Kenya where William Ruto wants to force us to support him through intimidation.
He has sent goons and police to assault the people of Kariobangi North simply because they did not elect a UDA candidate,” Gachagua said. He warned that such actions risked turning the Kikuyu community against the president.
“William Ruto, let me give you free advice; you are radicalising the Kikuyu nation, and that is exactly the mistake the colonial government made. Each time you send goons to attack leaders and citizens, this community grows to resent you even more. Those advising you are misleading you.”
Gachagua tied the tension to the Kariobangi North by-election outcome, where DCP won while UDA came a distant fourth, describing the result as a clear sign that people were unhappy with the current leadership. He questioned Governor Sakaja’s role in the events, saying the community had supported him yet was now being targeted.
“And I tell you, Governor, my supporters voted for you. Why are you allowing Ruto to use you to send goons to harass your own community? Why?
These people voted for you, yet you have turned against them. Now Ruto is sending you with goons to attack this community because he doesn’t want you to succeed,” he stated.
The former Deputy President warned that forced loyalty had never worked in Kenyan politics and would not help the ruling party gain support in Nairobi or Mt. Kenya.
“You cannot get the support of this community by force. If you ask Ruto about Narok, he will tell you he tried to use intimidation to make the people support a UDA candidate, and they refused.”
He praised the Maa community for backing DCP candidates, noting the party’s recent victories in Kariobangi North, Narok Town, and Kisa East, as well as narrow losses in Purko and Magarini.
“Don’t worry about Mbeere; DCP had no candidate there. We had candidates in Kariobangi North, Narok Town, and Kisa East, and we won. In Purko and Magarini, we only lost narrowly.
For a party that is only seven months old, it has won 3 seats out of 5,” the DCP leader stated.
Gachagua also announced a new political partnership between DCP and Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, saying they would field joint candidates in key Nairobi positions in 2027.
“The Kariobangi North victory marks the beginning of DCP’s journey in Nairobi. DCP is the party of Nairobi,” he said. He added that DCP and Wiper had agreed to take 16 of Nairobi’s 17 parliamentary seats and 75 of the 85 ward seats.
DCP secured seats in Kariobangi North Ward (David Wanyoike), Narok Town Ward (Douglas Masikonde), and Kisa East Ward (Aduda Okwiri).
