Business was brought to a standstill in Karatina Town, Nyeri County, as residents took to the streets to protest against what they termed harassment of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua by the Kenya Kwanza administration.
In a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke on Tuesday, May 20, circulating on social media, the demonstrators were seen blocking roads with stones and burning tyres, as they caused major traffic disruptions in the town.
The protestors clashed with the police officers as they tried to intervene, before dispersing them.
The protests came after Gachagua's recent allegations that he is under constant surveillance by state agents.
The Democracy for Citizens Party leader has been at loggerheads with President William Ruto's government since he was impeached and replaced with Prof Kithure Kindiki.
Gachagua, on May 19, claimed that unmarked vehicles have been following him, monitoring his movements, and taking note of visitors to his homes in Nairobi and Nyeri.
He claimed he had received intelligence on Sunday afternoon from police officers who were reportedly under instructions to plant arms and weapons in his convoy so they can have grounds to apprehend him.
"We received further intelligence from the deployed patriotic officers who were not in agreement with the evil mission that they had clear instructions to plant arms and weapons in our convoy to provide evidence to arrest us and get evidence that they could charge us with in court," he added.
According to Gachagua, state-sponsored officers had specific instructions to take him out on Sunday, May 18. He has also claimed the government planned to use 'biological weapons' against him to slowly degrade his mind over three months.
He added that he was made aware of the alleged instructions from the President that he should be dealt with once and for all, on Sunday, while he was attending a church service in Murang'a County.
"While attending a church service in Gatanga constituency yesterday, I received intelligence reports that there were orders to have me dealt with once and for all," Gachagua said in his explosive presser.
The former second-in-command further claimed that attempts to quell him by state-sponsored goons failed on Sunday, prompting police to intervene in the alleged plot to take him out.
Controversy surrounded Gachagua, after he made controversial remarks suggesting the upcoming 2027 general elections would descend into chaos if there were any discrepancies from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
But Gachagua doubled down on his initial defence on Sunday, insisting that his comments were not inciteful but rather a message of accountability to the commission ahead of the polls.
