Former Deputy President and Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that police officers and state-backed groups attacked the party’s candidate, Douglas Masikonde, and his agents during a training session.
In a statement on Wednesday, November 26, Gachagua claimed that heavily armed officers and militia stormed Masikonde’s home in Narok Town and unleashed violence on him and his team.
"I am now, without an iota of doubt, persuaded that this regime has gone mad and has lost its moral compass.
"Throwing caution to the wind, heavily armed police officers and state-sponsored militia have stormed the home of our DCP candidate, Douglas Masikonde, in Narok Town and violently attacked him and his agents, who were undergoing training," he said.
Gachagua also alleged that the incident signals a wider plan to interfere with the electoral process and intimidate DCP agents ahead of voting.
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"It is now clear that plans to stuff ballot papers are complete and our agents are being intimidated to subvert the sovereign will of the people.
"This is an attempt to deny the people of Narok Town their constitutional right to elect a candidate of their choice and to force the UDA candidate upon them," he added.
Gachagua urged residents to remain calm and still participate in the vote despite the challenges he says are being placed in their way.
"I appeal to the people of Narok Town to stay calm and turn out to vote despite the many hurdles being placed in their way," he concluded.
Elsewhere, earlier Wednesday, Gachagua alleged that the government is planning to orchestrate power blackouts in areas holding by-elections on Thursday, November 27, to facilitate vote rigging under the cover of darkness.
Speaking during the United Opposition's press briefing, he claimed to have credible intelligence about a multi-faceted plan to manipulate the electoral outcomes in Malava, Mbeere North, and Magharini constituencies.
"We have credible information that part of the strategy that they have put in place, in case they don't succeed in introducing the pre-marked ballot papers during the day, is to bring out officers in civilian clothes, who will cause chaos at 5 pm to delay the vote counting until nightfall," he stated.
Gachagua added that the alleged plan involves using darkness as cover for ballot stuffing.
"When it's dark, they will have power blackouts in all these areas so that it creates an environment for chaos, and make it easy to get the pre-marked ballots into the ballot boxes," the former DP claimed.
Gachagua also directly addressed Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, demanding assurances that power supply would remain stable during the electoral process.
"We warn the Energy CS, and he needs to promise that there will be no power blackouts in the areas where the by-elections are held," he said.
Gachagua also revealed that law enforcement officers were providing real-time intelligence to the opposition about government plans.
"I want to tell this government that those police officers are as dissatisfied as everyone else because they are also parents and their pay slips have been raided, so they are relaying to us all those plans the government is making in real time," he added.
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