Drama in Parliament As MPs Demand For Gachagua’s Arrest

Lawmakers call for former Deputy President to be declared unfit for public office over controversial 2007 violence remarks

Chaos erupted in the National Assembly on Tuesday as furious Members of Parliament halted House proceedings to demand the immediate arrest of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his controversial remarks about the 2007 post-election violence.

The dramatic scenes unfolded after Minority Leader Junet Mohamed successfully moved an adjournment motion to discuss what he termed “veiled threats” made by Gachagua during a recent television interview.

The controversy stems from statements Gachagua made during a May 16, 2025 interview with content creator Oga Obinna, where he warned that mismanagement of the 2027 general elections could trigger violence worse than the 2007/2008 post-election crisis.

“With the mood in the country, if the IEBC tries to mess with the elections, there will be no country here. I want to tell you, 2007 will look like a Christmas party,” Gachagua had said, referring to the crisis that claimed over 1,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of Kenyans.

The former Deputy President later attempted to clarify his remarks on May 19 during a press conference at his Karen residence, insisting his comments were not meant to incite violence but to caution the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) based on historical electoral issues.

Parliamentary fury

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

The mood in Parliament was explosive as lawmakers from across the political divide condemned Gachagua’s utterances as reckless and dangerous.

South Mugirango MP Silvanus Osoro led the charge, demanding immediate action against the former Mathira legislator.

“Gachagua should by now be behind bars for the statements; he should be charged for incitement. He should not be allowed to run up and down the country,” Osoro declared.

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah delivered perhaps the most scathing attack, describing Gachagua as having “a very dark soul.”

“This is not just a man with a dark heart but a very dark soul, and a dark soul to the extent that this man believes that the death of Kenyans, the bloodshed that this country witnessed in 2007, as unfortunate as it was, that he can equate the death and bloodshed that was occasioned on innocent Kenyans as a ‘Christmas Party,’” Ichung’wah stated.

Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo went further, urging the House to push for court proceedings to examine Gachagua’s impeachment case with a view to declaring him unfit to hold any public office.

“I want to urge this house through its lawyers to insist to the court to go to the merit of that matter to declare whether Parliament was wrong or not including fitness to hold office,” Amolo said.

Uriri MP Mark Nyamita expressed vindication over the earlier impeachment proceedings against Gachagua, stating: “We feel vindicated that the action we took to impeach the mistake of a deputy president that we had, we feel completely vindicated.”

However, not all MPs joined the chorus of condemnation. Funyula MP Wilberforce Oundo defended Gachagua, describing him as merely a “messenger” warning about the need for free and fair elections.

“Let us not kill the messenger; let us get the message. Let us prepare for the next elections,” Oundo urged his colleagues.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula granted the adjournment motion and allocated one hour and thirty minutes for the debate, directing that all other House business be rescheduled to accommodate the discussion of what he termed a matter of national concern.

Beyond parliament

The controversy has extended beyond Parliament walls. The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has issued a summons to Gachagua over the utterances, which the former Deputy President has reportedly dismissed.

Minority Leader Junet Mohamed framed the issue within constitutional parameters, noting that while Article 37 guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and demonstration, “that right ends where violence begins.”

“No leader, including the former DP, has the right to manipulate public sentiments to incite unrest, destruction of property, or the loss of innocent lives,” Junet emphasized.

The 2007/2008 post-election violence remains one of Kenya’s darkest chapters, triggered by disputed presidential election results. The crisis led to over 1,000 deaths, displacement of hundreds of thousands, and left deep ethnic divisions that took years to heal.

Gachagua’s casual reference to this tragedy as a potential “Christmas party” has clearly struck a nerve among legislators who lived through or witnessed the devastating impact of that period.

As Parliament grapples with the implications of Gachagua’s remarks, the broader question remains about the responsibility of political leaders in maintaining peace and stability, especially as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.

The drama in Parliament reflects deeper anxieties about electoral integrity and the potential for political rhetoric to inflame tensions in a country still healing from past wounds.

Whether legal action will follow the parliamentary condemnation remains to be seen, but Tuesday’s events have certainly placed Gachagua’s controversial remarks at the center of national political discourse.