NAIROBI, Kenya- Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has petitioned the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to investigate former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks he alleges amount to hate speech and ethnic profiling, arguing that the statements risk fuelling ethnic tensions ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In a letter dated July 27, 2026, Cherargei asked the commission to examine remarks made by Gachagua during political rallies, media interviews and press briefings, which he claimed associated members of the Kalenjin community with criminality, insecurity and organised violence.
“The statements have given rise to allegations of ethnic profiling and the association of members of the Kalenjin community with criminality, insecurity and organised violence,” Cherargei wrote in the petition.
Constitutional and Legal Grounds
The senator anchored his petition on Articles 27 and 33 of the Constitution, arguing that the law prohibits discrimination on the basis of ethnicity and does not protect hate speech or ethnic incitement under the right to freedom of expression.
He also cited provisions of the National Cohesion and Integration Act, which criminalise statements deemed likely to stir ethnic hatred or undermine national cohesion.
Cherargei urged the commission to investigate whether Gachagua’s public remarks breached the Constitution or the National Cohesion and Integration Act before taking appropriate legal action.
Claims Over Security Unit Remarks
At the centre of the complaint are remarks Gachagua allegedly made following the reported abduction of Juja Member of Parliament George Koimburi.
According to Cherargei, the former Deputy President claimed that President William Ruto, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and the Deputy Inspector General of Police, whom he identified as members of the Kalenjin community, had established a special security unit to target government critics.
The senator further alleged that Gachagua claimed the unit comprised 20 officers drawn from the Nandi community and operated under the direct command of the Deputy Inspector General.
Cherargei argued that, regardless of whether the allegations were true, linking a specific ethnic community to such claims risked reinforcing negative stereotypes and deepening ethnic divisions.
Call for Investigation
The senator maintained that the remarks formed part of what he described as a broader pattern of public statements by Gachagua that revisited memories of the 2007/2008 post-election violence and portrayed the Kalenjin community negatively.
He asked the NCIC to obtain the original recordings of the speeches, establish the full context in which the remarks were made and determine whether they amounted to hate speech or ethnic incitement under Kenyan law.
Cherargei further urged the commission to take legal action should it find sufficient grounds.
In his petition, the senator warned that Kenya’s past electoral violence demonstrates the dangers posed by ethnically charged political rhetoric, particularly as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He called on the NCIC to act decisively to safeguard national cohesion and prevent statements that could inflame ethnic tensions during the election period.
