Inside Politics

Gachagua fires back at Raila over claims of witchhunt on ex-DCI boss Kinoti

Sunday, November 6th, 2022 15:14 | By
Gachagua slams media
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at a past function. PHOTO/Rigathi Gachagua (@rigathi)/Twitter

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has denied claims from the opposition that President William Ruto was out to punish former State officials he had differences with when he was Deputy President.

Speaking during a church service at AIPCA Kenol, Murang'a county, on Sunday, November 6, Gachagua maintained that the ongoing crackdown on police linked to extra-judicial killings was not political.

While dismissing calls by Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga to involve foreign agencies in the investigations into extra-judicial executions, the former Mathira MP said the National Police Service is competent to probe the killings.

"On this matter of extra-judicial killings, I want to tell the leader of official opposition (Raila Odinga) we are not going to invite the Scotland Yard or anybody else. Our officers in the police service are competent and will work on that matter," Gachagua stated.

"All we want is our officers to be professional," he added.

Raila had demanded the involvement of the Scotland Yard in the ongoing investigations into the disbanded Special Service Unit (SSU) activities, following the mysterious disappearance of two Indians and their driver in July, a few weeks before the August 9 polls.

Raila accused the Head of State of pursuing a personal vendetta against state officers, including former Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti, yet there were many unresolved police killings, including International Criminal Court (ICC) witnesses.

“We oppose the attempt to sacrifice State officers who in the line of duty may have rubbed politicians the wrong way,” said Raila at a press conference in Nairobi.

Raila called for thorough investigations into the numerous brutal killings, such as the February 2020 death of Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei, a security officer attached to Ruto’s office, when he was the Deputy President.

Kenei died before recording a statement at the DCI concerning a Ksh39.5 billion fake arms deal linked to the office of the DP.

“As Mr Ruto mounts a search for the Indians, whoever and whatever they were to him, we want an equally vigorous search established to find the truth behind the disappearance and death of tens of Kenyans,” Raila said.

The opposition leader asked detectives to include in their scope of coverage the death of Meshack Yebei, who was a witness in the case against Ruto at The Hague.

He also challenged Ruto to order investigations into the death of businessman Jacob Juma, former IEBC official Chris Musando and others linked to cases at the International Criminal Court, including Christopher Koech, John Kituyi, Naftali Irungu, George Thuo, Antony Mwenje, Njoroge Gichere, Joseph Kang’ethe, Philip Bett, Benard Kemeli, Charles Ndung’u, George Njoroge and lawyer Gicheru.

Gachagua revists Kenol chaos

At the same time, Gachagua on Sunday revisited an incident where two people were killed after rival groups clashed ahead of Ruto's visit to the AIPCA Kenol in October 2020.

He said the violence pitting Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Jubilee supporters was sponsored and senior police officers were aware of the plot.

Gachagua claimed it took the intervention of an independent officer from the DCI to thwart plans to charge Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro and then Kandara MP Alice Wahome with murder.

"When police were asked to charge Ndindi Nyoro and Alice Wahome a very independent officer in the DCI conducted investigations and told his bosses that the MPs had nothing to do with the violence. When he gave them the names of those involved he was told to close the file. That's the way we want our officers to work. We salute those kinds of officers," Gachagua added.

"We want to tell our officers who are professional, you have our support and we will protect you to do the right thing."

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