Gachagua: I stayed away from Ol Kalou after intelligence of planned violence
By Kenneth Mwenda, July 12, 2026Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed he abandoned plans to host his Kiririmbi Interview: The Ol Kalou Decision in Nyandarua after receiving an intelligence warning of a plot to trigger violence ahead of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
Speaking during the programme on Sunday, July 12, Gachagua said he had initially planned to hold the event at Ngorika in Ol Kalou, but decided to return to his Wamunyoro home after receiving what he described as credible security information.
His remarks came hours after Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata’s driver was shot during violence that disrupted a Linda Mwananchi rally in Nyahururu.
Gachagua claimed the attack confirmed the warnings he had received days earlier from individuals within the National Police Service.
“I had told Kang’ata after they said they would go with Linda Mwananchi to Ol Kalou. I had the report because I have many people who inform me,” Gachagua said.
He added that some police officers had privately warned him against proceeding with his Ol Kalou plans.
“We have some very good people in the police service. They are the ones who called me and warned me against going to Ol Kalou. They told me they wanted people to be killed so that the election could be postponed.”
According to Gachagua, he was informed that violence had been planned for the weekend and immediately decided not to campaign in the constituency despite fielding a Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate.
He said he also sent Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu to relay the warning to Kang’ata.
“I told Senator Nyutu to find Kang’ata and tell him that even I, as DCP leader, would not go to campaign for my aspirant because I had been informed about what they were planning.”
Gachagua warns opposition leaders
Gachagua said he also advised the Linda Mwananchi team, which includes Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, to avoid campaigning in Ol Kalou.
He noted that although he had organised supporters to receive the team during an earlier visit to Thika, the security situation in Ol Kalou was different.
“In Ol Kalou, William Ruto and his allies are looking for a chance to cause violence.”
The former deputy president further claimed that the people behind Saturday’s attack on a DCP campaign truck in Pembroke, Gilgil, and Sunday’s violence in Nyahururu were the same individuals who had earlier operated in Ol Kalou and Witima.
“Those goons and police who attacked Kang’ata in Nyahururu are the ones who were in Ol Kalou yesterday. They are also the ones who attacked us in Witima.”
He claimed that the attackers had intended to shoot Kang’ata but instead hit the governor’s driver.
“They wanted to shoot Kang’ata. God saved him… unfortunately, they shot his driver.”
Earlier on Saturday, Gachagua had accused armed men of attacking and vandalising a DCP campaign truck heading to Gilgil, claiming police officers in civilian clothes were involved in the incident.
His party’s economic adviser, Peter Mbae, similarly claimed that the attackers were “state-sponsored goons” attempting to provoke violence before the July 16 Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
On Sunday, Kang’ata confirmed that his driver, Gitari, had been shot during a Linda Mwananchi rally in Nyahururu after the team was confronted by stone-throwing groups. He said the driver remained in hospital with a bullet lodged in his chest.
Opposition leaders, including Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi and Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi, blamed security agencies for failing to protect the rally and accused police of allowing repeated attacks on opposition events.