Police are facing pressure from important leaders in the Kenya Kwanza government to connect impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to the violence and looting that occurred during the protests on June 25.
This situation comes as the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Mohamed Amin, announced on June 30 that police will arrest Gachagua if evidence links him to the protests.
He stated, “Gachagua does not have immunity from prosecution. If our investigations show that he helped or supported any criminal acts, we will take action.”
Amin also said that the agency has not summoned the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader regarding the protests but admitted they are looking into who paid for the groups of troublemakers.
The protests started after Albert Ojwang died at the Central Police Station on June 8. Protesters accused Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat of being responsible for his death.
On June 12, the demonstrations turned violent, with many businesses being looted and people robbed in Nairobi. Governor Johnson Sakaja and President William Ruto’s aide, Farouk Kibet, promised to restore order in the city.
On June 17, when peaceful Kenyans marched, groups of armed troublemakers on motorcycles attacked them.
Reports indicated that some of these troublemakers were paid by individuals connected to City Hall and State House.
According to The Standard, since the chaos and destruction during the June 17 and 25 protests, there has been increasing pressure on the police to find out who funded the attacks, with Gachagua being the primary focus of the investigation.
A senior detective said, “We have talked to many suspects, and none have mentioned the former Deputy President. There’s no evidence linking him to the violence on June 25. But the pressure to find something against him is very strong.”
The aim behind this pressure is to create fear among business owners, as it makes the protests look like just an opportunity to steal rather than a fight for justice.
Another detective shared that “our early findings indicate that some of those who organized the troublemakers were paid in cash, but we haven’t found any connection to Gachagua.”
Mobilizing for political rallies or protests often involves money, and some officials do not believe that the protests are happening naturally.
As the evidence points in other directions, police inactivity during the looting is also making it hard for DCI detectives to work.
There are suggestions that police were told not to intervene while the troublemakers looted businesses in downtown Nairobi and other areas.
Another detective mentioned, “There are certain groups pushing to link Gachagua to this issue, but so far, the facts do not support that story.”
Gachagua has already claimed that there is a plan to arrest him after leaders from the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) accused him of causing the chaos.
After the protests on June 25, CS Murkomen blamed unnamed politicians for planning these protests as a way to undermine the Kenya Kwanza government.
Following his statement, other leaders, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, criticized Gachagua, directly associating him with the unrest.
“If you are involved in these criminal and terrorist activities, we will come for you. We will not wait for you to cause more deaths and destruction; we will act against you, just like we have done with Al Shabaab terrorists,” said Kindiki during an event in Kitui County.
ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga and Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo also claimed, at a bursary distribution event, that Gachagua was trying to use the Gen Z protests to gain power unlawfully.
