Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua found himself once again caught in a tense and hostile atmosphere during his visit to Nyandarua County on Saturday, December 28.
Gachagua, who has been an outspoken critic of the Kenya Kwanza government since his impeachment in October, was forced to seek safety along with his entourage during a thanksgiving service for Shamata Ward MCA Gitau Njamba.
The event took a dramatic turn when Nyandarua Senator John Methu was addressing the crowd. His speech was abruptly interrupted by a commotion that escalated quickly into violence.
Images and videos show a furious crowd confronting the police, who responded by firing tear gas and live bullets into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd.
In the chaos, one video showed the bishop at the service desperately trying to calm the agitated crowd, which was insistent that the police leave the premises.
Despite the turmoil, Gachagua addressed the situation after the fracas, reaffirming his commitment to continue fighting for the rights of Kenyans, despite the challenges and what he claimed was persecution by the government.
Gachagua accused a local Member of Parliament in Nyandarua of orchestrating the disruption.
He further criticized the authorities for escalating the violence, particularly after a tear gas canister was fired into the crowd, intensifying the confusion and panic.
“I want to tell our officers, please, right now you’re saying that a civilian threw a tear gas canister at us.
Where did they get it from? You came here pretending to ensure security, yet you are teargassing people,” Gachagua said in a statement.
Senator Methu, before the commotion, had alluded to efforts by certain groups to ensure the event did not proceed, largely due to Gachagua’s attendance.
“People were saying this event would not happen, but it did,” Methu remarked. “Regardless of what the President does to us, we will keep praying.”
This incident marks another chapter in Gachagua’s ongoing efforts to maintain his influence, particularly in Central Kenya, following his impeachment.
It also follows a similar altercation in Limuru a month earlier, when goons disrupted another function he attended, pelting his convoy with stones and chairs.
Gachagua had publicly claimed that the incident was part of an assassination plot against him.
Despite these setbacks, Gachagua remains resolute in his political pursuits, claiming that he will continue to push for justice and speak out against the current government, no matter the personal cost.
His continued vocal opposition to the government and his contentious public appearances have made him a central figure in the ongoing political drama in Kenya.
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