NAIROBI, Kenya, May 19 – Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua says his 2007 post-poll violence remark wasn’t incitement but a caution to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Speaking during a press conference at his Karen home, Gachagua indicated that his remarks were meant to spur the electoral body to deliver credible 2027 elections.
He stated that it was based on historical facts and past electoral experiences of 1992, 1997 and 2007 controversial elections.
“About my statement on the post-election violence, this was a precautionary statement and not incitement. It is based on historical facts and past electoral experiences of 1992, 1997 and 2007 controversial elections that we must have a free and fair election in 2027,” he stated.
He also dared the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to arrest him at his Wamunyoro home if he is accused of any wrongdoing ‘punishable by law.’
While stating that he has not received any summons so far, Gachagua stated that he will not be cowed or intimidated by the use of the criminal justice system.
“If the government knows that I have committed a crime known under the laws of Kenya and identified within the penal code, they know where my home is…and, I am here, they know my Wamunyoro home,” he said.
He stated that the drama of waylaying him and his supporters on the roads should stop.
“I have not been summoned by anybody. I am waiting to see if there is any summons. What happened is that they wanted to plant weapons in my convoy and they wanted to use chemicals so that they can paralyze our brains the way they did to Kenneth Matiba,” he stated.
“That is why we had to take an alternative route to get here. I would have wished they had come here instead of waylaying us on the road.”
He dismissed what he described as the loose talk by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen “that during the DCP Party unveiling, where goons dared to cause chaos were fighting for handouts from us.”
“These were state-sponsored but fortunately, they were overpowered by security personnel and supporters. Let it be known that our party, DCP, has organic support and we do not pay supporters to attend our meetings, the way the government is doing to people to attend their meetings.”
