NAIROBI, Kenya- Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has accused former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of promoting ethnic division and incitement, saying security agencies are monitoring his public statements and could take legal action if they determine they pose a threat to public safety.
In a statement, Murkomen claimed Gachagua had continued using inflammatory rhetoric by referring to political leaders from the Mount Kenya region who support the government as “wasaliti” (traitors).
He argued that branding political opponents as traitors was a dangerous form of rhetoric that had historically been used to isolate and target sections of society, citing the Rwandan genocide and the Kosovo conflict as examples.
Murkomen also sensationally linked Gachagua’s remarks to the killing of gospel musician Rachel Wandeto, alleging her death resulted from incitement against government supporters.
Police investigations linked the brutal killing of Wandeto to a fight over money.
However, the Interior CS did not provide evidence to support the claim or indicate whether investigators had established such a connection.
He further said security agencies had been instructed to monitor Gachagua’s public statements and “take the necessary legal action” where appropriate.
Murkomen described the former deputy president as “a hopeless tribalist” and maintained that Kenya remains “a united, progressive and indivisible nation.”
The remarks come amid heightened political tensions ahead of the 2027 General Election and at a time when the government has faced growing scrutiny over rising insecurity and incidents involving armed gangs, commonly referred to as “goons,” in several parts of the country.
Opposition leaders and human rights groups have accused the state of failing to curb the violence, while in some instances alleging political involvement—claims the government has consistently denied.
Gachagua has rejected accusations that he is inciting violence or promoting ethnic politics, maintaining that his criticism is directed at government policies and leadership.