A provocative post by Senior Presidential Advisor Moses Kuria on X has ignited a firestorm of online debate, accusing former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and MPs Kimani Ichung’wah, Ndindi Nyoro, Cecily Mbarire, Mithika Linturi, and himself of misleading the Kikuyu community to abandon former President Uhuru Kenyatta during the 2022 elections.
Kuria’s post, shared on June 26, 2025, claims that the June 25 protests resulted in at least 16 deaths and over 400 injuries, as reported by police. He claims protests led to “70 Kikuyu lives lost yesterday alone” due to violence allegedly incited by Gachagua.
The post, which included a threatening remark, “You put my people’s lives at risk again; I kill you. It’s that simple” has drawn sharp criticism for its inflammatory tone, escalating tensions in Kenya’s volatile political landscape.
The protests, driven by Gen Z activists demanding an end to corruption, police brutality, and poor governance, saw clashes with security forces using tear gas and alleged live ammunition.
Amnesty International and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) confirmed 16 deaths, with eight in Nairobi alone, contradicting Kuria’s claim of 70 Kikuyu fatalities.
The KNCHR reported 61 arrests and 83 injuries requiring specialised treatment, while social media posts amplified allegations of targeted violence against Kikuyu-owned businesses in Nairobi’s CBD, Nyeri, and Thika.
Kuria, a former Gatundu South MP and a key figure in the 2022 Kenya Kwanza campaign, has long been a polarising voice in Mount Kenya politics.
His post reflects ongoing supremacy battles in the region, where he, Gachagua, Ichung’wah, Nyoro, Mbarire, and Linturi played critical roles in rallying Kikuyu voters for President William Ruto against Uhuru Kenyatta’s Azimio coalition.
Kuria previously admitted to rigging elections for Kenyatta, alongside Gachagua, Ichung’wah, and others, but later criticised Kenyatta for neglecting Mount Kenya, aligning with Ruto’s “hustler vs. dynasty” narrative.
My good friend Rigathi Gachagua. Yourself, Ichungwa, Ndindi, Mbarire, Linturi and myself lied to Kikuyus to abandon Uhuru Kenyatta. Did we do that only to convert them into suicide bombers destroying our very own properties and businesses ? 70 Kikuyu lives lost yesterday alone…
— Hon.Moses Kuria,HSC (@HonMoses_Kuria) June 26, 2025
You put my people's lives at risk again I kill you. It's that simple
— Hon.Moses Kuria,HSC (@HonMoses_Kuria) June 26, 2025
His recent condemnation of Gachagua, whom he accuses of turning Kikuyus into “suicide bombers” destroying their properties, has been met with doubts, with @ken_miriti1 calling it a “scripted propaganda narrative” that risks further dividing the community.
Gachagua, impeached in October 2024 for corruption and ethnic incitement, has denied inciting violence, instead condemning police brutality and alleging state-sponsored attacks on Mount Kenya businesses.
His apology to Uhuru Kenyatta’s mother, Mama Ngina, for 2022 campaign rhetoric signals a shift toward regional unity, contrasting Kuria’s divisive tone.
The protests, part of a broader wave of unrest fuelled by the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in custody and over 80 abductions since 2024, have drawn international scrutiny.
Kuria’s inflammatory rhetoric, coupled with Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen’s alleged shoot-to-kill order, has raised concerns about state complicity in escalating violence.
Opposition leaders and rights groups are pushing for a public inquest into extrajudicial killings, including those of Chris Msando and Jacob Juma, as Kenya grapples with its history of political repression.
