NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua says that a clandestine police unit he identifies as “Nairobi Sierra” has been dismantled, with officers allegedly transferred to different police stations following accusations that the squad was involved in political violence.
Gachagua, the leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), said the officers were now vulnerable because the alleged operations of the unit could expose those behind it.
“They have been transferred to different police stations. So that the evidence can end, they have decided to kill them,” Gachagua claimed.
He urged the officers he alleges were part of the unit to come forward and seek protection.
“I am advising those police officers to confess what you did and then rush to the Witness Protection, since if you start walking around and you have already been disarmed, you will be hunted and killed,” he said.
Gachagua has previously alleged that Nairobi Sierra was a covert police unit deployed to disrupt his political activities and those of other opposition leaders.
In January 2026, he alleged that 12 officers attached to the unit had been dispatched from Nairobi during an incident at St Peter’s ACK Church, Witima, in Othaya, Nyeri County, where a church service attended by him was disrupted by tear gas and gunfire.
The National Police Service subsequently ordered an investigation into the Witima incident.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja directed the Internal Affairs Unit to investigate after a tear-gas canister was thrown into the church compound during the service. Police said several vehicles were damaged, while no injuries were officially reported.
The allegations have since become part of a wider political dispute over the conduct of security agencies during opposition political activities.
Gachagua has also linked the alleged unit to violence during political gatherings, including claims surrounding the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election campaign period, where opposition politicians and supporters reported attacks.
However, claims that the alleged “Nairobi Sierra” unit exists as a parallel or clandestine police formation have not been independently established by the police. Gachagua has made the allegations publicly, but available official accounts do not confirm the existence of such a unit.
The Witima incident, however, remains the subject of official scrutiny.
In Parliament, the government told senators that investigations were ongoing and that local police officers who attempted to respond to the incident were confronted by members of the public who accused them of complicity.
An internal inquiry also established that no formal request for police security had been submitted by the church for the service.
Gachagua has repeatedly accused security agencies of targeting him since his fallout with President William Ruto and subsequent removal from office in October 2024.
In June 2026, he again alleged that senior security officials were involved in recruiting, financing and deploying groups of youths to attack citizens, political gatherings and protests. He described the alleged arrangement as a parallel system operating alongside regular police units.
The former Deputy President has also previously called for officers allegedly involved in the Witima attack to be arrested, disarmed and prosecuted. Opposition leaders joined those demands, accusing police officers of working with armed groups during the church incident.
The National Police Service has not publicly confirmed Gachagua’s allegations that a covert unit called Nairobi Sierra was responsible for political attacks.
The claims have nevertheless placed renewed attention on the accountability of security officers deployed during political events, particularly where allegations emerge that officers may have acted outside established command structures.
Gachagua’s latest warning comes amid continuing political tensions surrounding his DCP and the broader opposition movement ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He maintains that officers allegedly involved in the activities of the disputed unit are now being moved around the country and disarmed, and fears they could be targeted to prevent them from revealing what they allegedly know.
The allegations remain unsubstantiated, and any determination regarding the existence, membership or activities of the alleged Nairobi Sierra unit would require evidence from ongoing investigations or competent authorities.
