NAIROBI, Kenya – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has launched a scathing attack on the government following the shooting of an unarmed hawker by police during protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District on Tuesday, describing the incident as one of the darkest moments in Kenya’s post-independence history.
In a statement on his social media pages, Gachagua accused the government of waging war against innocent civilians, particularly young people, through excessive use of force and unlawful crackdowns on peaceful demonstrations.
“We have witnessed one of the lowest moments of our post-independence Kenya,” said Gachagua.
“It is uncivilized to sink our nation into international shame under a clueless regime that has no value or dignity for human life.”
A police officer has been arrested after shooting an unarmed civilian in broad daylight during protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District, the National Police Service (NPS) confirmed on Tuesday evening. ynews.digital/newsflash/trig…
The protests had been sparked by public outrage over the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody earlier this month under suspicious circumstances.
As demonstrators took to the streets to demand justice for Ojwang, a widely circulated video showed a police officer firing a shotgun at close range, hitting a man identified as a street vendor selling face masks.
The National Police Service has since confirmed the officer’s arrest and promised further investigations into the use of force.
However, Gachagua questioned the state’s commitment to justice, claiming the violence was part of a broader, premeditated strategy.
“I had clearly warned of a plan by the President and the Governor of Nairobi County to unleash police brutality and thugs in police escort to kill our young people,” Gachagua alleged. “What is this obsession with the blood of young people?”
Today, we have witnessed one of the lowest moments of our post-independence, Kenya. It is uncivilized to sink our nation into an international shame by a clueless regime that has no value and dignity for human life.Young people and patriotic Kenyans expressing themselves on the
He further challenged the government to explain the purpose of deploying both police and what he described as “state-sponsored goons” to disrupt peaceful assemblies, adding that the crackdown has only escalated public anger and tarnished Kenya’s global image.
“No one among those criminals who meted violence on Kenyans today has been arrested,” he said. “How much more blood, Mr. President, do you need to leave the Gen Zs alone?”
Gachagua invoked the biblical story of Cain and Abel to emphasize the moral weight of the alleged abuses.
“I continue to remind you what God told Cain after he killed his brother Abel: ‘Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil.’”
His remarks come amid growing national outrage over police conduct, with human rights groups and opposition leaders calling for independent investigations into both Ojwang’s death and the latest shooting.
