Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has sharply criticised Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over his response to the violence that rocked the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, accusing him of misleading Kenyans and shielding those behind the attacks.

In a lengthy statement posted on his X account on Saturday, July 18, 2026, Gachagua claimed Murkomen was downplaying what happened during the Nyandarua mini-poll despite widespread reports of violence that left one person dead and at least 20 others injured.

The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader accused the Interior CS of dismissing serious claims instead of holding those responsible to account.

“Bwana CS for Goonism, Kenyans are not fools,” Gachagua said.

His remarks came two days after Murkomen directed security agencies to investigate claims of violence during the Ol Kalou by-election, saying anyone found responsible should be arrested and prosecuted regardless of who deployed them.

Murkomen said the Inspector General of Police had deployed enough officers to maintain law and order and insisted the government would not tolerate political violence.

“These allegations of some other persons causing havoc in Ol Kalou must be investigated thoroughly, and anyone found culpable must be arrested regardless of what they were doing and who deployed them to Ol Kalou,” Murkomen said on Thursday, July 16, 2026.

However, Gachagua rejected Murkomen’s position, accusing him of attempting to portray the election as peaceful despite video clips circulating online showing armed men in SUVs and clashes near polling stations.

He claimed hooded men, whom he described as rogue police officers and goons, attacked voters in broad daylight while uniformed officers allegedly failed to intervene.

“Police officers, the residents of Nyandarua, as well as journalists who were attacked, are horrified to hear the juvenile CS… telling Kenyans yesterday that Ol Kalou was very peaceful,” Gachagua said.

He further accused Murkomen of insulting Kenyans’ intelligence by expressing disappointment that police had not been praised for maintaining order during the election.

“This young man… is taking Kenyans for fools. He thinks we are him,” Gachagua stated.

The former deputy president also questioned the government’s commitment to investigating the violence, claiming the probe would not be credible.

“He is calling for investigations into isolated cases, but we know they won’t happen because he is the one who authorised and financed the attacks,” Gachagua claimed.

Claims over attackers emerge

Gachagua further claimed that the vehicles used to ferry the attackers belonged to a Mt Kenya MP and that the lawmaker was captured on video directing the attacks. The MP has not publicly responded to the claims.

The former deputy president also accused local police commanders of being instructed not to interfere with what he described as the activities of a rogue squad operating during the by-election.

He argued that despite the violence, voters remained at polling stations to protect the ballot boxes until counting was completed.

“The voters occupied the polling stations and barricaded them with their bodies; a human shield,” Gachagua said.

The Ol Kalou by-election has become one of the most politically charged contests since the 2022 General Election after it was widely viewed as a contest between President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Gachagua’s DCP.

According to official results released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), DCP candidate Sammy Douglas Waweru Kamau won the seat with 35,440 votes, defeating UDA candidate Samuel Muchina Nyaga, who garnered 5,450 votes.

Speaking on Friday, July 17, 2026, after the results, Murkomen defended the credibility of the election and accused sections of the opposition of accepting election outcomes only when they emerge victorious.

He nevertheless maintained that any reports of violence, intimidation or security lapses during the Ol Kalou by-election would be investigated thoroughly, adding that those responsible would face the law.

“The era of political violence and goonism must come to an end. If there were any incidents during the Ol Kalou by-election, they will be investigated, and those responsible will face the law,” Murkomen said.