Former Deputy President and Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has fiercely rebutted claims by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who accused him of financing goons during the violent Gen Z-led protests on June 25, 2025.
In a scathing statement issued on Thursday, Gachagua challenged the government’s narrative, questioning why alleged goons were not arrested and how unarmed individuals could overpower a police station.
“If I funded goons, why weren’t they arrested? If they were mine, they’d have been shot. How did unarmed goons take over a police station? The Interior CS must respect Kenyans — people are not that stupid,” Gachagua declared, as reported by multiple sources, including KTN News and NTV Kenya.
The protests, marking the first anniversary of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations, turned chaotic in Nairobi’s Central Business District, resulting in at least eight deaths and over 400 injuries, according to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
The unrest saw businesses looted and property vandalised, with Murkomen alleging that the protests were a deliberate attempt to overthrow President William Ruto’s government.
He claimed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) was probing financiers, pointing fingers at Gachagua and other opposition figures.
Gachagua, however, accused the state of orchestrating the chaos to discredit peaceful Gen Z protesters demanding accountability for police brutality and the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in custody.
He alleged that goons were ferried into Nairobi under police escort to loot and destroy property, a claim echoed in posts on social media labelling the goons as “state-sponsored”.
“Your police allowed goons into town at their expense to cause mayhem and place the blame on the Gen Zs,” Gachagua stated, condemning the use of excessive force and live bullets on unarmed demonstrators.
The former deputy president further criticised Murkomen for visiting looted shops, calling it a pretence to mask government complicity.
He urged President Ruto to heed the youth’s demands for transparency and justice, warning that continued state-sponsored violence risks radicalising young Kenyans.
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have also condemned the police’s collusion with armed goons, citing videos of motorbike-riding assailants attacking protesters while officers stood by.
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— KENYA GOSSIP HUB (@kenyasgossips) June 27, 2025
