Gachagua Alleges IG Douglas Kanja Holds ‘Fake’ Academic Papers, Claims Ruto Told Him Police Boss Was ‘Easy to Control’
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has launched a fresh attack on Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, alleging that Kenya’s top police officer possesses fraudulent academic credentials and claiming President William Ruto personally told him the issue made Kanja easier to influence.
Speaking during an exclusive interview on KTN News on Tuesday, July 22, Gachagua made a series of explosive allegations against both the Inspector General and President Ruto, claiming Kanja’s academic qualifications were not genuine and that the President allegedly intervened to ensure he secured the country’s top policing job.
“IG Kanja, his degree certificate is fake, and I can tell you as a matter of fact. I know that because the President told me himself that this man will do what I want because he didn’t have papers,” Gachagua alleged during the interview.
The former Deputy President further claimed that questions were raised about Kanja’s academic credentials during his parliamentary vetting in 2024, alleging that President Ruto later facilitated the acquisition of forged documents.
“It was even challenged, and then the President organised for him to get some fake papers,” Gachagua claimed.
The allegations have not been substantiated, and neither President Ruto nor Inspector General Kanja had publicly responded to the claims at the time of publication.
Claims of Presidential Influence
Gachagua argued that the alleged issue surrounding Kanja’s academic qualifications gives President Ruto significant leverage over the Inspector General, claiming the police chief cannot act independently for fear of exposing himself.
According to Gachagua, Kanja remains in office because resigning would allegedly place him at odds with the President while simultaneously exposing the circumstances surrounding his appointment.
He further suggested that Kanja was being retained in the position so that responsibility for controversial police actions could ultimately be placed on him rather than the political leadership.
Kanja’s Appointment and Parliamentary Vetting
Douglas Kanja was approved by Parliament as Inspector General of the National Police Service in September 2024 after undergoing vetting by the National Assembly’s Committee on Administration and Internal Security.
During the process, lawmakers examined his academic qualifications, professional experience and integrity records before recommending his appointment.
To satisfy constitutional and statutory requirements, Kanja presented a Bachelor of Commerce degree alongside clearance certificates from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and other relevant state agencies. Parliament subsequently approved his nomination before he was sworn into office as Inspector General.
Fresh Claims Over Albert Ojwang’ Case
During the same interview, Gachagua also mentioned Deputy Inspector General Eliud Langat, describing him as a close associate of the Inspector General. He went on to make further allegations linking Langat to the murder of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang’.
Those allegations have not been supported by publicly available evidence, and Langat has previously denied wrongdoing in relation to the case.
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