Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has sensationally claimed that there is a state-sponsored plan to assassinate him, directly implicating President William Ruto and senior security agencies in what he describes as a coordinated campaign to silence him.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, Gachagua said he received credible intelligence on Sunday, 18th May, while attending a church service in Gatanga Constituency, indicating that the President had allegedly instructed security agencies to “deal with him once and for all.” He claims this marks an escalation from previous failed attempts by what he called “state-sponsored goons.”
According to Gachagua, the intelligence was relayed at around 11.00 am to the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and the Director of Criminal Investigations by the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government.
He alleges that a covert “killer squad” of 101 masked and hooded officers had been deployed to Gatanga to ambush and eliminate him. The team, he claims, comprises operatives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU), the General Service Unit (GSU), and other agencies, operating under the command of the NIS.
Gachagua further stated that sympathetic intelligence officers tipped him off about a plan to plant weapons in his convoy, setting him up for arrest on fabricated charges. He said his team narrowly evaded the ambush with the help of friendly officers within the security system.
In an alarming revelation, Gachagua also alleged that the assassination squad included operatives trained in the use of biological weapons, tasked with poisoning him using inhaled chemicals designed to gradually paralyse his brain over three months.
He accused President Ruto of further endangering his life by ordering the disarmament of his private security personnel, thereby exposing him to attacks by what he termed “state-sponsored goons.”
The former Deputy President linked the purported hostility to his past remarks referencing the 2007/08 Kiambaa church massacre, as well as his allegations regarding the illegal acquisition of public land in Ngong Forest for the construction of a private hotel.
Gachagua defended his previous comments on political violence and historical electoral injustices, stating they were grounded in lived experience and not intended to incite unrest. He cited the flawed elections of 1992, 1997, and 2007 as justification for vigilance ahead of the 2027 general election.
“It is my civic duty as a leader to remind the IEBC and all agencies charged with election management that they must deliver a free, fair, verifiable, and credible election,” he said.
He also catalogued a string of alleged targeted attacks dating back to November 2024, including violent disruptions during funerals and church services in Kiambu, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Naivasha, and Nairobi. He accused the Ministry of Interior of failing to investigate or hold perpetrators accountable.
Dismissing Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen’s claims that recent clashes during Democratic Change Party (DCP) events were due to disputes over handouts, Gachagua maintained that the disturbances were the work of hired thugs. He insisted that DCP enjoys organic grassroots support and does not bribe attendees to join its events.
“The attempt to neutralise or intimidate me will not succeed. This movement is not about Rigathi Gachagua. The push for change is about the people of Kenya, their desire for good governance, decent infrastructure, and an end to corruption and extrajudicial killings,” he declared.
Gachagua concluded by urging his supporters to remain alert and steadfast in the face of what he called state-backed political persecution.
