Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Sunday, December 29, 2024, flew into Kakamega for a football tournament following chaos that briefly attempted to scuttle a thanksgiving ceremony in Ndaragwa, Nyandarua County.

Gachagua landed at the home of former United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary-General Cleophas Malalah before driving to the Stadium to witness the tournament finals.

Malalah, a confidant of Gachagua, is among a group of leaders who have remained loyal to the former deputy president despite his removal from office by way of impeachment.

On Saturday, December 28, 2024, Gachagua said a teargas canister was thrown into a meeting he attended in Ndaragwa constituency.

“Ata mkiharibu mikutano, ata mkituma vijana, ata mkikuja na teargas, hawa watu wote walitoka kwa UDA. Sasa ni wakati mnapoteza (Even if you try to disrupt the meetings, send youth or even come with teargas, these people already left UDA. At the moment, you are just wasting your time),” Gachagua stated.

Leaders condemn incident

Other leaders present at the event including Senator Methu Muhia also condemned the incident, going ahead to reveal the identity of a police officer he accused of lobbying a tear gas canister.

Muhia urged Ruto to let them organize meetings without interference, indicating they would not be cowed by threats and intimidations following the fallout with Gachagua.

Muhia stated that the president had betrayed the community despite rallying and drumming up support for his election bid in 2022.

Muhia in the meeting equally urged Gachagua to expedite the formation of a political outfit for the Mount Kenya region, noting that the UDA party was no longer tenable.

Shortly before concluding his remarks at the podium a teargas canister was thrown into the area, forcing people to scamper for safety.

Plainclothes police

In his remarks, Gachagua stated that a police inspector had handed a plainclothes police officer the teargas with instructions to throw it into the VIP tent.

“Today at a Thanksgiving Prayer Service at Shamata in Nyandarua scores of police officers were deployed purportedly to provide security. However, and without any provocation whatsoever a uniformed Inspector of Police gave a teargas canister to an officer in plain clothes to throw into a VIP tent, causing panic and commotion. This was despite the fact that the prayers were peaceful and everyone was calm,” Gachagua said.

Adding: “To President Ruto: No amount of intimidation or violence will stop the Kenyan people from criticizing you, demanding for good governance and accountability, or asking you to respect democracy and the rule of law.”