South Rift Leaders Demand Gachagua Arrest Over Alleged Violence and Incitement Claims
Former Deputy President faces fresh political pressure as South Rift leaders call for police investigation ahead of the 2027 General Election
South Rift political leaders have renewed calls for security agencies to investigate former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over allegations of political incitement and the financing of groups they claim could fuel violence ahead of Kenya’s 2027 General Election.
The leaders, led by Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot, made the demands on Saturday, July 26, during separate events in Bomet and Kericho counties.
They accused Gachagua of allegedly financing goons, encouraging political confrontation and making inflammatory statements that they claimed could threaten national cohesion and security.
The allegations have not been established in court, and Gachagua has previously rejected accusations that he sponsors political violence.
Cheruiyot called on Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to examine the claims and take appropriate action if any wrongdoing is established.
“I would like to pose one simple question: Why should one person be allowed to spread hatred simply because other leaders have a different political standing?” Cheruiyot asked.
He added: “CS Murkomen and IG Kanja should not give Rigathi Gachagua even the slightest opportunity to incite or harm other Kenyans.”
Pressure mounts on NCIC
The South Rift leaders also turned their criticism on the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), accusing the agency of failing to respond adequately to what they described as repeated inflammatory statements by Gachagua.
They claimed the commission had been inconsistent in its enforcement of laws dealing with hate speech and politically inflammatory remarks.
“If some of us used the kind of language that is being used by Rigathi Gachagua, we would immediately be summoned and asked to explain what we meant,” Cheruiyot said.
The criticism comes as the NCIC investigates Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale over remarks he made during a public event in Lafey Constituency, Mandera County.
The commission confirmed that it had received a complaint concerning Duale’s alleged utterances and that its investigations department had commenced an inquiry.
Duale has denied accusations of ethnic incitement, insisting that his remarks were taken out of context.
The dispute has since widened into a broader political confrontation, with Duale arguing that the NCIC should also summon Gachagua over remarks he considers inflammatory. On Sunday, Duale said he would not appear before the commission before Gachagua was summoned.
Gachagua remains at centre of political storm
The latest demands add to growing political tensions surrounding Gachagua as political parties and leaders position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
Government-aligned leaders have repeatedly accused the former Deputy President of fuelling political unrest and supporting groups involved in confrontations at political events.
Gachagua has rejected the accusations and instead accused the government of being responsible for political violence through rogue elements within the security system.
The former Deputy President has also remained an outspoken critic of President William Ruto’s administration, turning the dispute into one of the increasingly bitter political battles ahead of the next General Election.
The South Rift leaders, meanwhile, used their appearances in Bomet and Kericho to defend the Ruto administration against criticism from opposition figures.
With political temperatures rising and accusations of incitement increasingly becoming part of Kenya’s political discourse, pressure is likely to grow on security and cohesion agencies to demonstrate that the law will be applied equally to politicians across the political divide.
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