Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, now leading the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), has accused the Kenyan government of sponsoring goons to infiltrate and destabilise the Gen Z-led protests on June 25, 2025, claiming they operated under police supervision.
In a fiery 18-point statement issued on June 26, Gachagua alleged that state-backed goons were escorted into Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) to loot and destroy property, particularly targeting Kikuyu-owned businesses, while genuine protesters were blocked on Kiambu and Thika roads.
His claims have intensified political tensions, sparking debates over police brutality and government accountability.
Gachagua’s allegations point to a deliberate state-orchestrated plot to discredit the youth-led protests, which demanded an end to corruption, police brutality, and poor governance.
“In Nairobi, especially the downtown region, businesses belonging to people from a certain region were identified by officials from the County Government of Nairobi and elsewhere,” he stated, accusing politicians allied with President William Ruto’s regime of coordinating the looting with police complicity.
He further claimed, “Your police allowed goons into town at their expense to cause mayhem and place the blame on the Gen Zs,” noting that the chaos in areas like Nyamakima and River Road occurred after 6:00 PM under police supervision.
The June 25 protests, marking the anniversary of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations that killed over 60, resulted in 16 deaths and over 400 injuries, with Amnesty International and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) attributing most fatalities to police use of live ammunition and tear gas.
Gachagua’s statement, condemning “excessive force and live bullets by the police on peaceful and unarmed Gen Z protesters”, aligns with reports of 61 arrests and 83 severe injuries.

He accused Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen of visiting looted shops to “hide his guilt”, asserting, “Kenyans are not fools.” Netizens echoed his claims: “Goons have not been arrested because they were sponsored by the State.”
Murkomen, in response, described the protests as “terrorism disguised as dissent”, alleging organisers, including Gachagua, financed a coup attempt, a claim the former DP dismissed as propaganda.
Gachagua argued that if he had funded goons, they would have been arrested or shot, questioning why police failed to act on alleged intelligence about hired criminals.
“How did they allow goons to go to a police station unarmed and take over?” he challenged, highlighting attacks on nine police stations, five of which were torched.
The accusations come amid heightened scrutiny of state actions, with human rights groups like Amnesty Kenya demanding investigations into abductions, including that of blogger Ndiangui Kinyagia, missing since a June 21 DCI raid in Kinoo.
Gachagua’s history of alleging state-sponsored attacks, including disruptions at his DCP launch and church events, fuels his narrative of targeted intimidation.
In May 2025, he claimed goons under police escort evicted his sons from their office, further accusing Ruto of ordering his security team’s disarmament to expose him to attacks.
Online activism has surged, with hashtags like #RutoMustGo trending alongside calls for justice for protest victims and missing activists. The KNCHR and LSK are pressing for accountability, citing over 80 abductions since 2024.
Gachagua’s claims, while polarising, resonate with Gen Z’s demands for transparency, amplifying tensions in Mount Kenya, his political stronghold.
As Kenya braces for more protests, his allegations of state-sponsored violence and police complicity underscore the urgent need for dialogue to address governance failures and prevent further unrest.