BOSTON, U.S. – Former Deputy President and Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has accused the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of deploying more than 40 agents to follow him during his ongoing visit to the United States.
Speaking during an interview in Boston on Saturday, Gachagua said the presence of the agents poses a threat to his personal safety and risks triggering political tension back home.
“During my current tour of America, over 40 agents were deployed by the NIS to trail us, with intentions that could have endangered not only our safety but also triggered serious unrest back home,” Gachagua claimed.
He described the surveillance as an abuse of state power and accused the intelligence agency of “dangerously disregarding” the implications such operations could have on national stability.
Gachagua’s allegations come as political leaders at home also sound alarm bells over rising political tensions, both locally and abroad.
Just hours before his remarks, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula had urged Kenyan leaders in the diaspora to avoid exporting tribal politics to foreign countries.
“Do not take tribalism to the diaspora; you cannot go abroad and just talk to one tribe,” Wetang’ula said on Friday during a public event in Busia County. “Kenya’s global reputation is on the line when leaders engage in exclusive, ethnic-based rhetoric.”
The Busia event, which focused on women’s empowerment, was also attended by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and regional leaders, and featured concerns about the growing polarisation of diaspora politics.
US Tour and Political Messaging
Gachagua is currently on a two-month tour of the United States that began on July 9. He is scheduled to visit diaspora communities in Dallas, Seattle, Boston, California, and Baltimore.
The tour includes town hall meetings and the launch of a satellite DCP office in Seattle.
He has used the visit to amplify his criticism of President William Ruto’s administration and express support for youth activists detained during recent Saba Saba protests.
Before departing Nairobi, Gachagua claimed unnamed individuals close to President Ruto had threatened to block his travel.
“If you want to come and arrest me at the airport as you are threatening us, you can go ahead; I don’t have a problem,” he said during a pre-departure briefing. “We have made sufficient arrangements with other leaders in the United Opposition to create a pool of lawyers to assist our young people who are being prosecuted on trumped-up charges.”
