Democracy for Citizens party leader Rigathi Gachagua has accused the government of plotting to assassinate him upon his return from the United States, sparking fresh political tension over how dissenting voices are treated.
Speaking during a Citizen TV interview on Tuesday night, the former Deputy President alleged that police officers disguised as goons staged an attack on his convoy in Pipeline, Nairobi, shortly after he landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
According to Gachagua, the plan involved police blending in with the group of alleged attackers so that, in the event of his assassination, blame would fall on hired goons.
He further claimed that police dropped a heavy object on his vehicle, narrowly missing him. The incident, he said, forced him to cancel a rally scheduled at Kamukunji after his security team flagged serious risks.
“There were civilian police on the ground and another team in the air in a civilian chopper, coordinating the operation. At one point, I was forced to abandon my plans to proceed to Kamukunji as tens of youths armed with crude weapons were waiting for me,” Gachagua stated.
He warned that his death would have plunged the country into chaos, accusing Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen of authorising the operation.
“The government organised to attack me; those were policemen in civilian clothes, accompanied by goons. They wanted to kill me at Pipeline, but I escaped death by a whisker. What Murkomen should know is that, if he had killed me, there would be no country; there would be a civil war,” he said.
Before his return, Murkomen had said Gachagua would be summoned to explain earlier claims that the state was working with terror groups. Gachagua, however, insists there were plans to arrest him at the airport.
“When Murkomen threatened to arrest me, my supporters decided to come to the airport to make sure that I was safe. It was a family affair,” he said.
The government is yet to issue a formal response to Gachagua’s claims.
