NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has launched a scathing critique of President William Ruto’s administration, accusing it of sponsoring criminal gangs to stifle dissent while sending Kenyan police officers to combat gang violence in Haiti under a U.N.-backed mission.
Speaking during a TikTok livestream with Kenyans in the diaspora on Thursday, Gachagua termed the government’s actions contradictory and alarming.
“It does not make sense to send your security forces abroad to quell criminal gangs, yet in your country, the government is spending resources on reviving such gangs,” said the former DP.
Gachagua went on to allege that the government has resorted to silencing critics through intimidation and abductions, pointing to cases of young Kenyans reportedly kidnapped by individuals linked to security forces.
“This administration has sunk very low. Even the British colonialists never went for our children. I feel very sorry that I was part of an administration that has turned against its people,” he said, adding, “A government that cannot secure its people has no business being in power.”
Youth Opposition and Electoral Concerns
Praising Kenyan youth for stepping into the void left by what he described as a “weakened opposition,” Gachagua said young people are now holding the government accountable.
He attributed this to Ruto’s co-opting of key opposition figures into his administration, effectively neutralizing dissent.
At the same time, Gachagua urged the international community to pressure the government to expedite the formation of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“Looking at the things some government officials have been saying recently when there is no IEBC raises a red flag,” he warned, referencing recent remarks by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi.
Sudi had suggested that Ruto’s allies would do whatever it takes to secure his re-election in 2027, including manipulating votes.
Kenya has lacked an operational electoral body for nearly two years following the retirement of commissioners led by former chairperson Wafula Chebukati.
The delay in appointing new commissioners has stalled crucial IEBC functions, including the delimitation of electoral boundaries—a process that should have occurred last year, as required every decade.
