Ichung’wah Threatens to Sue Gachagua
Ichung’wah Threatens to Sue Gachagua Over Explosive Voter Bribery Claims Ahead of High-Stakes Ol Kalou By-Election
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah has threatened to sue former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua after the opposition leader accused him of orchestrating a voter bribery scheme ahead of the crucial Ol Kalou by-election.
The escalating war of words has injected fresh political tension into the Nyandarua contest, with both camps trading serious allegations just days before voters head to the ballot.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, July 10, Ichung’wah dismissed Gachagua’s claims as “baseless, false and malicious”, insisting he had never convened meetings with government administrators or electoral officials to influence the outcome of the poll.
“I take great exception to the baseless, false and malicious allegations levelled against me by Mr Gachagua regarding the forthcoming Ol Kalou by-election,” Ichung’wah said.
The Kikuyu MP maintained that the accusations were entirely fabricated and intended to damage his reputation at a politically sensitive moment.
The statement came hours after Gachagua alleged that Ichung’wah had convened a meeting with Deputy County Commissioners in Gilgil and instructed them to mobilise chiefs and other local administrators to distribute money to voters on the eve of the by-election.
According to the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader, the alleged plan involved using government officials to influence voters on Sunday night before polling, claims that have significantly raised the political temperature in the constituency.
However, Ichung’wah categorically denied the allegations, accusing Gachagua of engaging in political theatrics after allegedly sensing defeat for his preferred candidate.
He insisted that he had never held meetings with Deputy County Commissioners or any state officers to interfere with the electoral process, describing the accusations as conspiracy theories designed to mislead the public.
“The allegations of bribery of IEBC officials are not only irresponsible but also meant to portray me as a person devoid of electoral and moral integrity,” Ichung’wah said.
The Majority Leader argued that the remarks had gone beyond ordinary political criticism and amounted to outright defamation.
He announced that he would move to court to compel Gachagua to substantiate every allegation made against him.
“Because this empty political rhetoric now touches on my integrity, to preserve the sanctity of our electoral processes and protect democracy, I will take legal action against Gachagua,” he added.
The bitter exchange comes as campaigns intensify ahead of the July 16 Ol Kalou by-election, which has emerged as one of the country’s most closely watched political contests.
With rival political camps battling for supremacy, the race has been overshadowed by accusations, counter-accusations and growing concerns over the integrity of the electoral process.
Neither independent electoral authorities nor other government agencies had publicly responded to the specific allegations by the time of publication, and no evidence had been presented publicly to substantiate the claims made by either side.
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