NAKURU, Kenya — Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has hit back at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of repeatedly targeting her husband in public speeches and political statements instead of focusing on national issues.
In a statement issued on Monday, Kihika dismissed Gachagua’s latest claims as personal, politically motivated, and lacking substance, saying the former deputy president appeared fixated on her spouse.
“Whom the gods want to destroy, they first make mad. Gachagua, you are losing it. My spouse clearly lives rent-free in your head,” Kihika said in a post on X.
She alleged that the attacks stem from past business disagreements and accused Gachagua of attempting to blackmail and extort her husband.
“Is it because he refused to be blackmailed and extorted by you for a ‘protection fee’? You can’t intimidate us,” she said.
Kihika further accused the former deputy president of sustained efforts to intimidate her family through public criticism, arguing that his recent political tour in Nakuru County lacked any meaningful policy agenda.
“You came to Kinamba, Naivasha, yesterday, and 90pc of your speech was insulting my spouse and me. You didn’t even give a single agenda on what you would do for the country should you ever be elected,” she said.
Despite the sharp rebuke, the governor maintained that Gachagua remains welcome in Nakuru County, but cautioned against what she termed inflammatory and divisive rhetoric.
“For the avoidance of doubt, you, like any other person, are welcome to come to Nakuru anytime. However, your hobby of incitement and bad manners should be checked at the county’s entrance. We are a cosmopolitan county and don’t entertain such. Umezidi,” Kihika said.
Her remarks followed claims by Gachagua that the National Police Service had failed to remain apolitical and that law enforcement in Nakuru County was allegedly influenced by the governor’s spouse.
In a statement addressed to the Inspector General of Police earlier on Monday, Gachagua said that assurances given during a January 30, 2026, meeting with national leaders — that police would respect constitutional guarantees on freedom of movement and assembly — had not been honoured.
“I specifically alerted you that the Police Command in Nakuru County was in the hands of the spouse to the County Governor,” Gachagua said, alleging that police authority in the county had been “surrendered” to Kihika’s husband.
He further claimed that during his visit to Kinamba Trading Centre in Naivasha, police officers mounted a roadblock at Karati River to block his entourage from entering Nakuru County from Nyandarua County.
According to Gachagua, the roadblock — allegedly manned by officers in four Land Cruisers — led to the harassment of members of the public for more than an hour before residents protested and access was restored.
He also cited previous incidents on March 29, 2025, in Mai Mahiu and Naivasha town, alleging that police disrupted his meetings and that junior officers complained of being misused for political purposes amid rising crime levels in the sub-county.
Kihika dismissed the allegations as unfounded and politically charged, reiterating that Nakuru County does not tolerate divisive politics or personalised attacks, and insisting that security operations in the county remain guided by the Constitution and the law.
