Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has declared that he is not afraid of any threats of arrest being made by the President William Ruto administration as he prepares to jet out of the country tonight.
Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, July 9, Gachagua claimed that some of his close associates had received threats that alluded to him being blocked from travelling to the United States for diaspora engagements.
"I have been threatened by people close to William Ruto who called some of my people today and said that they will want to stop me from leaving the country," Gachagua claimed.
"I have no problem. If you want to come and arrest me at the airport, as you were threatening us, you can go ahead. You cannot sell fear to us, and even if you sold it to us, we cannot buy it."
The former DP, therefore, claimed that whether he is stopped from going to the US or not, he will keep defending those arrested on what he termed as trumped-up charges of terrorism.
He claimed that the United Opposition had organised a pool of lawyers to defend them.
On July 8, the Director of Public Prosecutions approved and filed terrorism charges against 37 Kenyans accused of causing disruption, including the burning of the Kiambu Law Court during the June 25 commemorative protests. Two of them are well-known Gachagua allies.
On Wednesday, July 9, Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji, another Gachagua ally, was also present in court to face terrorism charges after being accused of funding goons during the July 7 Saba Saba Day protests.
Gachagua is set to go on a two-month trip to the US to woo diaspora votes, his first foreign trip since his ouster in October 2024.
Between July and August, Gachagua will visit several cities in the states of Texas, California, Washington, Massachusetts, and Maryland.
The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader is expected to popularise his new party and ramp up the diaspora votes through town hall meetings with Kenyans living in the US and social gatherings.
He will also interact with selected IS businesspersons and investors as part of a broader campaign to position the opposition as a viable alternative in the run-up to the 2027 general election.
