Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has raised alarm over an alleged state-sanctioned crackdown on small-scale liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) traders across several parts of the country.
Speaking on Wednesday, August 26, Gachagua claimed that hundreds of thousands of gas cylinders had been seized from small-scale retailers through an unregulated police operation.
"Over the last 2 years, small-scale gas dealers have been put under a ruthless state-sanctioned seizure, systematic harassment and a total subversion of the regulatory frameworks under guidelines for the retail of liquefied petroleum gas in cylinders," he said.
According to Gachagua, a clandestine police unit was allegedly established in June 2025 and stationed in Hurlingham, Nairobi, at a facility he claimed was formerly the Heart Centre.
He alleged that the station, which he said was not gazetted, operated with an armory, a clandestine budget and a multi-rank police command.
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Gachagua further alleged that the unit included an OCPD, an OCS, SSP, Deputy OCS, OC Crime and 25 other officers, and claimed that it operated under the supervision of a private citizen.
According to Gachagua, between June and October 2025, the group conducted raids targeting small-scale gas retailers in Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado and Machakos counties.
"Between June and October 2025, this vigilante group operating with impunity, raided Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, and Machakos mall scale gas retailers; using private vehicles and lorries, they took away with them over 200,000 gas cylinders; no single inventory was done, no O.B. was recorded and nobody was taken to court," he added.
Gachagua also claimed that the alleged operations continued outside Nairobi, saying the unit was deployed to parts of the North Rift, Nyanza and Western regions.
He alleged that gas cylinders and vehicles were seized and taken to Kakamega Police Station in one such operation.
"When Mr. Eliud Lagat deployed this team to North Rift, Nyanza and Western Regions, they forcefully took away gas cylinders and vehicles and put them at the Kakamega police station; when they illegally wanted to prosecute the matter," he further said.
Gachagua described the alleged actions as part of a wider pattern of harassment and unlawful enforcement against LPG traders.
He maintained that the traders were not opposed to regulation but accused the alleged police unit of using enforcement measures to intimidate and target small-scale businesses.
"It must be clearly noted that NO LPG trader is against any regulations and laws; the question is harassment, arbitrary arrests, illegal seizure of gas cylinders and extortion by the DIG Lagat led militia," he stated.
Gachagua further alleged that some of the seized cylinders were being redirected to private LPG businesses allegedly linked to politicians and state actors.
"We have evidence that the seized gas cylinders are funneled to private and upcoming LPG enterprises owned by politicians and other state actors; one of these firms is in Kitengela and Kenyans saw these gas cylinders during the Ol Kalou by-elections; your guess is as good as mine on who this whole game leads to," he claimed.
Gachagua called for immediate action against the alleged enforcement operation, including the closure of the alleged facility in Hurlingham and legal action against those he accused of running or participating in the operation.
He also demanded the return of the alleged more than 200,000 seized cylinders and compensation for affected traders, as well as investigations into officials he linked to the alleged enforcement activities.
Gachagua further called for the LPG regulatory framework to be followed and for enforcement agencies to respect the rights of small-scale traders.
This comes a day after DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala alleged a plan to replace Inspector General Douglas Kanja with his Deputy, Lagat.
Speaking in Kamukunji on Tuesday, August 25, Malala claimed that Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen was behind the sinister plot.
He added that Murkomen and Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo allegedly plan to not only deploy goons across the country, but also ensure that the matter gets out of hand.
Malala added that the endgame is to get Kenyans to demand IG Kanja's resignation, and relieve the police boss from his duties.
"Kanja, Murkomen and PS Omollo are using goons so that Kenyans can start protesting and calling for your resignation. They will then claim that it is the people who demanded your removal from office," he alleged.
Malala further claimed that the plan is to make sure that by the time Kenya goes into the election, Lagat, is in charge of law enforcement.
He warned that Kenyans will not allow the President, Interior CS and the National Police Service to all come from one community ahead of a highly contested election.
"We want to tell you, Murkomen, even if Kanja goes home, we will not go to an election with the President, CS and IG from the same community," he added.
