Kalonzo drags Ruto into Kikuyu chaos, insists he has failed leadership test
By Kenneth Mwenda, April 11, 2026Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has accused President William Ruto of using police to block opposition leaders from accessing a rally in Kikuyu, Kiambu County.
In a strongly worded statement shared on X on Saturday, April 11, 2026, Kalonzo claimed police used live bullets and teargas against leaders and supporters heading to the event.
He said the incident took place at the Gitaru-Kikuyu Interchange, where security officers confronted their convoy.
“Today, at the Gitaru-Kikuyu Interchange, you answered not with governance, but with guns,” Kalonzo wrote.
He claimed that police fired both live and rubber bullets at what he described as peaceful Kenyans exercising their constitutional rights. He also claimed teargas canisters were thrown into vehicles, putting lives at risk.
“Before the eyes of the entire world, you deployed the police… to fire live and rubber bullets at us and at Kenyans who were peaceful,” he said.
Kalonzo further claimed that vehicles in their convoy were damaged during the confrontation, with some windscreens shattered in the chaos.
The incident came amid tension in Kikuyu ahead of a rally organised by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Earlier in the day, clashes broke out between police and groups of youths, with officers using teargas to disperse crowds.
Witnesses reported running battles in parts of the constituency, while sections of the Southern Bypass were blocked with burning tyres and other obstacles. The disruption caused heavy traffic, leaving motorists stranded for hours.
Police clash with rally crowd
As the situation escalated, police moved in to clear the roads and push back crowds near the rally venue. Officers also fired shots into the air as they attempted to restore order.
Despite the heavy police presence, Gachagua and his supporters remained defiant. The former deputy president told the crowd he would not be stopped from attending the rally.
Elsewhere, Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah blamed Gachagua for the chaos, claiming the violence was organised and deliberate.
“The violence witnessed in our constituency today is organised and deliberate. It is not random chaos,” Ichung’wah said.
However, Kalonzo dismissed claims that the opposition was behind the unrest. Instead, he accused the government of targeting leaders and their supporters.
“You cannot shoot down the will of a people and you cannot teargas a nation’s conscience,” he said.
He went on to criticise the government’s response, saying it showed fear rather than leadership.
“These are not the actions of a president. They are the actions of a man who fears the people he was elected to serve,” Kalonzo added.
The Wiper leader insisted that political pressure would continue despite the disruption. He said Kenyans would ultimately respond through the ballot.
“Its citizens are not subjects to be silenced with bullets, but free people whose votes will speak in 2027,” he said.
The events in Kikuyu highlight rising political tension as leaders clash over rallies, security, and control of the Mt Kenya region.