Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) party leader Rigathi Gachagua has accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of intending to eliminate him.

Speaking on Monday, May 19, 2025, during a press conference at his Karen home in Nairobi, Gachagua claimed that he had received intelligence reports that President William Ruto had ordered that he be dealt with once and for all.

The former Deputy President further claimed that security and other state agencies had been ordered to come in since several goons sponsored to attack him at events had failed.

According to Gachagua, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen communicated to the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the National Intelligence Service and the Director of Criminal Investigations to form a squad that would launch an operation that included planting weapons on him so that he could be arrested.

Police squad

The squad, he says, is composed of 101 lethal and dreaded officers from the Administration Police (AP) and NIS, accompanied by officers from the DCI, the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU), the General Service Unit (GSU), and the regular police.

“On Sunday, May 18, 2025, I received intelligence reports that President William Ruto had ordered that I be dealt with once and for all. And since the goons sponsored by the state on several occasions had failed, police and other state security agencies had to come in. At about 11:00 am on the same Sunday, May 18, 2025, this information was communicated to the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the National Intelligence Service and the Director of Criminal Investigations by the CS interior Kipchumba Murkomen, and consequently, a killer squad composed of 101 lethal and dreaded officers from the administration police and NIS, accompanied by officers from the DCI, the anti-terrorism police unit, the General Service Unit, and the regular police, were deployed,” Gachagua said.

Gachagua on being poisoned

He went ahead to claim that he had received further intelligence reports that officers who are highly trained in the use of biological weapons had also been deployed to poison him with inhaled chemicals that would paralyse his brain within a period of three months.

“Yesterday they were mobilised and cordoned off and blocked all exits from the Gatanga constituency. This squad were armed to the teeth, hooded and with masks to conceal their identity because of the heinous acts they wanted to commit on us. At about 2:30 pm, we received further intelligence from the deployed patriotic officers who were not in agreement that the information had clear instructions to plant arms and weapons in our convoy to provide evidence to arrest us and get evidence that they could charge us in court. After about 30 minutes, the killer squad were joined by their counterparts, who are highly trained in the use of biological weapons. The instructions were to poison me through inhaled chemicals that would paralyse my brain within three months. This was the intent and purpose of the whole operation,” Gachagua said.

Gachagua’s assassination claims

This is not the first time Gachagua is making claims of an attempt on his life.

In October 2024, Gachagua made shocking claims linking the NIS to an attempt to assassinate him on two occasions.

Speaking from Karen Hospital in Nairobi shortly after he was impeached, Gachagua shed light on what he described as a deliberate effort by the country’s spy agency to eliminate him through poisoning.

“I want to tell the people of Kenya that I do not feel safe,” Gachagua stated.

He recounted the first incident, which reportedly occurred on August 30 in Kisumu, where undercover security agents allegedly entered his hotel room.

“They bugged my room, and one of them tried to poison my food, but we detected it and escaped the scheme,” he claimed. “I was supposed to be killed through poisoning.”

Gachagua further alleged a second attempt on his life just days later, on September 30 in Nyeri, during a meeting with the Kikuyu Council of Elders.

“Another team from the National Intelligence Service tried to poison food meant for me and the elders,” he said.

“After these two attempts, I reported the matter to NIS and asked the officers assigned to me to leave because I did not feel safe.”