Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has demanded that Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja resign from office, accusing him of losing control of the National Police Service and enabling state-sponsored violence.
In a letter addressed to the IG on Tuesday, November 25, Gachagua issued a scathing 15-point indictment of the police chief's handling of security matters, particularly regarding recent violence in Narok town.
"If you are not in full control of the Police Service, kindly do the honorable thing and resign,” Gachagua stated.
The letter comes in the wake of violent confrontations on Monday, November 24, when Gachagua's campaign rally in Narok town was disrupted by teargas and what he alleges was coordinated state-sponsored violence.
The former Deputy President opened his letter by accusing Kanja of persistent negligence, stating he has repeatedly written to him on state-sponsored violence, state-sponsored militia, and unspeakable violence against him, including assassination attempts on his life and that of his supporters, with no credible action taken.
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"Mr. Kanja, your calculated viral silence and inaction impute involvement, irresponsibility, recklessness, or incompetence at play."
Gachagua further accused Kanja and William Ruto of deploying militia, uniformed police officers, and plainclothes sleuths, including the Rapid Deployment unit, to harass, maul, and teargas his supporters in Narok town.
Most seriously, he alleged that Kanja ordered police and militia to use live ammunition and lob teargas cannisters and violently disrupt his meeting while campaigning for the DCP candidate in Narok Town Ward, Hon. Douglas Masikonde.
"You are further aware that two police officers attached to Murang'a county woman representative Betty Maina were deployed to Narok yesterday and they were seen publicly issuing instructions to senior police officers and coordinating the Narok Violence," the letter states. "Mr. Kanja, it seems you have surrendered the National Police command to Hon. Betty Maina; this, you cannot deny.”
The letter follows chaotic scenes in Narok town on Monday when Gachagua, who was campaigning for DCP candidate Douglas Masikonde, claimed that over a thousand police officers had been deployed to prevent him from addressing residents.
Despite roadblocks erected to bar him from entering Narok town, the former DP managed to reach the venue, telling the crowd, "Police are putting roadblocks so I can't enter Narok. Now I'm here. President Ruto's government is scared of me. They put more than a thousand police officers, so I can't come talk to you."
However, just as DCP candidate Masikonde began addressing the gathering, teargas canisters were fired into the crowd, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse.
In a statement following the incident, Gachagua revealed how he had evaded the police blockade.
“Being a villager, I engaged my fellow villagers in Narok who guided me through village paths unknown to the police and made a triumphant entry in Narok town and was received by thousands of jubilant DCP supporters."
