Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Thursday, June 26, issued a scathing response to calls for his arrest as he blamed the government for the mayhem that was witnessed during protests on Wednesday.
In a strongly worded statement, the former DP condemned the use of live bullets and excessive force by police officers on demonstrators, as he solely accused the state of sponsoring the chaos.
“I condemn in the strongest terms possible the use of excessive force and live bullets by the police on peaceful and unarmed Gen Z protesters,” Gachagua said in his 18-point statement.
According to Gachagua, there was a well-orchestrated plot to block protesters along Kiambu Road and Thika Road to leave them stranded while goons wreaked havoc in the Nairobi Central Business District.
Further, the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader spoke on the looting that was witnessed in the Nairobi CBD, alleging that specific businesses were targeted by design.
"We have credible information that in Nairobi, especially the downtown region, businesses belonging to people from a certain region were clearly identified by officials from the County government of Nairobi and elsewhere. This brutal exercise was led by politicians allied to this rogue regime," Gachagua added.
The former DP's remarks came barely hours after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen described the June 25 protests as terrorism disguised as dissent, as he accused the financiers of the demonstrations of a premeditated plan to overthrow the current regime.
"There was no peaceful demonstration. It was riots, chaos and anarchy, and therefore we condemn the criminal anarchists in the name of peaceful demonstrations, who unleashed a wave of violence, looting, sexual assault and destruction upon our people," Murkomen said.
In his speech, Murkomen revealed that the hired criminals were aiming at police officers and were also after guns in the armouries and police uniforms. He noted the criminals managed to steal firearms in two separate police stations in Kiambu County.
But Gachagua, in a rejoinder, hit back at Murkomen's remarks, accusing the CS of making allegations that are misleading and divisive.
While Murkomen was critical of political figures who endorsed the June 25 protests, Gachagua, in his statement, criticised the government for resorting to what he labelled as 'outdated tactics.'
Gachagua, who was scheduled for media engagements on Thursday, revealed he had cancelled his media obligations in the Embu region in solidarity with those who lost their lives during the protests.
