Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has accused the government of deploying goons and police officers to destroy election materials in Narok North following signs of defeat in the ongoing by-elections.

In a statement shared on his social media pages on Thursday, November 27, 2025, Gachagua claimed that the state had resorted to “desperate measures” after realising that its preferred candidates were performing poorly in several by-election centres.

According to Gachagua, after the candidate allied to the state appeared to be on the losing end in the Narok Town by-elections, they decided to burn ballot boxes in order to interfere with the outcome.

He stated that individuals linked to the state were sent to burn ballot boxes and KIEMS kits in an attempt to interfere with the outcome.

“After losing the Narok Township Ward by-elections, the government has sent goons and police to burn the ballot boxes and KIEMS kits, but it is too little, too late. How desperate are William Ruto and Patrick Ntutu?” Gachagua wrote.

His remarks come at a time when tension remains high in several polling stations across the country, with multiple reports of violence, disruption, and attempts to interfere with the voting and tallying process.

These were experienced in Mbere North, which was recently mapped by IEBC as a hotspot for by-election violence after 2 rival goon groups clashed with each other.

Mbeere North chaos

One goon group was seen wielding batons, adamant that they wouldn’t vacate the tallying centre until the election results are released, and they engaged the rival group, who were pelting stones at them.

It was a chaotic scene, with each group aiming to outdo the other, as police officers who were manning the constituency tallying centres, armed with guns, watched with little or no intervention.

 A few metres from the tallying centre, clouds of tear gas gathered as the rival groups continued to engage at a distance.

One Mbeere North resident who identified himself as John Arimi Thoini and was witnessing the chaos between the groups said that one group belonged to Mathira MP Erick Wamumbi.

He claimed that Wamumbi had been barred from entering the Siakago Social Hall, where vote counting was expected to commence, and after that, he arrived with goons who were accompanying him, which is how the clash began.

“Everything had been smooth, but after 5:00 pm when polling stations were closed, Erick Wamumbi attempted to enter, but voters refused. He left and returned with his goons and his security officers, all of whom had alighted from the same car,” he said.

The same has been experienced in other areas, with DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa having his car torched.