Gachagua Goes into Hiding as Police Steps Up Manhunt for His Arrest

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has reportedly gone into hiding as police intensify their search for him in what government officials describe as a crackdown on incitement to violence, while opposition figures condemn the move as political intimidation.

According to sources close to the matter, Gachagua evaded a police dragnet in Murang’a County on Sunday evening before making his way to his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri. Law enforcement officers have since laid siege to both his Nyeri and Karen residences in Nairobi.

“To all media houses, kindly be informed that the DCI has taken hostage of all HE Rigathi Gachagua’s homes both at Karen and at Wamunyoro. They are currently man hunting him. We are yet to be informed of the reasons,” said Ndegwa Njiru, one of Gachagua’s lawyers.

The manhunt follows a series of stern warnings from top government officials, including Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, who have accused the former deputy president of making inflammatory statements that could destabilize the country.

Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen.

“We will put you in jail, and there’s nothing you’ll do about it,” Murkomen declared during a public event in Nandi County over the weekend. “We won’t allow anyone to burn it (the country) down.”

Deputy President Kindiki echoed these sentiments, comparing leaders who fan violent rhetoric to Al-Shabaab terrorists.

“Our country is not at risk of experiencing pre- or post-election violence similar to that witnessed in 2007/08. Those prophesying such occurrences are the real enemies of Kenyans and should be rejected at all costs,” said Kindiki during an interdenominational church service in Teso North.

Controversial statements

The confrontation stems from recent comments made by Gachagua regarding the 2027 general elections.

The former deputy president, who was impeached last October after serving for two years in the role, allegedly warned that Kenya could experience violence worse than the 2007/08 post-election crisis if the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) mishandles the upcoming polls.

“If the IEBC tries to mess with the 2027 election there will be no country here, 2007 will look like a Christmas Party,” Gachagua reportedly stated in a recent media interview.

The 2007/08 post-election violence left more than 1,000 people dead and thousands displaced from their homes, marking one of the darkest chapters in Kenya’s political history.

In response to the threats of arrest, Gachagua has defended his statements, insisting that he was not inciting violence but merely warning about potential consequences.

“I did not order anyone to arms. I abhor violence and instability. I am only warning IEBC that our politics are fluid. It is my civic duty to caution. The situation we are in now won’t stomach electoral monkey business in 2027,” Gachagua said on Sunday.

The former deputy president further accused the current administration of hypocrisy, claiming that it is the government that has been “on a spree of unleashing goons in burials, weddings, worship centers.”

He specifically pointed to recent disruptions during the launch of his new political party, Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP).

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has condemned the government’s actions against Gachagua, terming them as intimidation.

“This intimidation of the Opposition must stop. Mr. Ruto, if you want to arrest Deputy President @rigathi, do it the right way; follow the law. We are prepared to produce DP Gachagua before the @DCI_Kenya. Please stop abducting Kenyans and their leaders. Abductions are primitive and cowardly,” Musyoka stated.

The confrontation highlights the growing political tensions in Kenya as the country moves toward the 2027 general elections.

Gachagua, who recently launched his Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), has positioned himself as a key opposition figure against President William Ruto’s administration, his former ally.

Government officials maintain that their actions are aimed at preventing incitement and preserving peace, while opposition figures view the moves as attempts to suppress political dissent.

As the manhunt continues, the political landscape remains tense, with both sides digging in on their positions.