Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has come out swinging against what he describes as “intimidation tactics” from the government, brushing off warnings from Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen that he will be arrested upon return to Kenya.
Speaking on Sunday, August 10, from an undisclosed location in the United States, Gachagua — his voice firm and face set — declared that the fear of arrest has never guided his political decisions and would not start now.
“If the fear of arrest was part of my thinking, I would never do anything; I would just stay in the house. Every day they discuss me in Parliament for two hours and say they will arrest me. I just move on. I’m not a leader who buys fear. And as I have explained, I think Murkomen is lost,” Gachagua told supporters in a live-streamed address.
The former second-in-command, who served alongside President William Ruto before a dramatic political falling-out earlier this year, went further — saying he would make his travel plans public when returning to Kenya, including the exact date, hour, and flight number, to give law enforcement a “clear opportunity” to arrest him if they so wished.
“When my day to go to Kenya is due, I will announce the date, the hour, and the flight number so that whoever is interested in arresting me can go ahead and do it. If they want to arrest me, I’m a Kenyan — the courts are there. If they have any charges, let them prefer them,” he said.
On Saturday, August 9, CS Murkomen had issued a sharp directive to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), insisting that Gachagua must record a statement upon landing. The order came after Gachagua’s recent remarks alleging he had attended — or had a representative attend — meetings with Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab.
Murkomen framed the allegations as a matter of national security, saying no Kenyan should hold back information about terrorist activity.
“He has said that he has information and that he has an agent who is holding meetings with Al-Shabaab. As soon as he lands in Kenya, he must record a statement to tell us exactly which meetings he is having with terrorists,” Murkomen told reporters.
This is not Gachagua’s first brush with the criminal justice system. He was arrested multiple times before the current administration took power — encounters he now says only emboldened him.
“I was arrested many times before the new administration but I never changed my stand. In fact, it hardened my resolve. All those things they are doing, they are just hardening the resolve of our supporters,” Gachagua said.
The feud between the former Deputy President and the Ruto administration has been simmering since their alliance fractured in early 2025, following disputes over policy direction, party leadership, and alleged sidelining in state decision-making. In recent months, Gachagua has emerged as a rallying point for disaffected Kenya Kwanza loyalists, often using charged language to criticise what he calls “the erosion of democratic freedoms.”
Political analysts say the confrontation between Gachagua and Murkomen is more than just a personal feud — it reflects a deepening polarisation within the political elite. With the 2027 election cycle beginning to cast a shadow over the political landscape, public spats like this one are seen as positioning battles for influence and survival.
Security experts have also warned that linking political rivals to terrorism — without providing evidence — can inflame tensions and erode public trust in counterterrorism efforts. “When terrorism becomes a political tool, it risks delegitimising real security concerns,” one analyst noted.
As the clock ticks toward Gachagua’s return, Kenya watches and waits. Will the former DP walk into the hands of waiting detectives at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or will the showdown fizzle into yet another round of political theatre?
One thing is certain: Rigathi Gachagua has made it clear that he is not backing down. And in Kenya’s high-octane political arena, where perceptions can be as powerful as policy, that defiance might just be the point.
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