NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 21 – Impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) after accusing President William Ruto and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of plotting to assassinate him.
“These are serious allegations coming from someone of your stature and cannot be taken lightly,” the DCI wrote to him in the letter summoning him to record a statement on October 22, the same day the High Court is expected to rule on a petition challenging his impeachment.
“In light of the seriousness of this matter, we kindly request your presence on October 22 at the DCI Headquarters to formally record your statement to enable prompt and thorough investigations into the matter,” the DCI said.
Gachagua made these claims on Sunday, shortly after being discharged from Karen Hospital, where he had been admitted for several days following a sudden illness just hours before the Senate voted to approve his impeachment.
He alleged that the president and the NIS had conspired to harm him, likening his situation to the political persecution faced by the late Kenneth Matiba during President Daniel Arap Moi’s regime.
“The president wants to take me down the same path President Moi took with Matiba. He pushed him to the point of getting a stroke and eventually dying,” Gachagua said, expressing fears that Ruto was similarly trying to “cripple” him.
Speaking to reporters after his release from the hospital, Gachagua revealed he had feared for his life even while still in office due to alleged attempts on his life. “Leave me alone, my brother President William Ruto, I can’t believe you are the man I helped become president,” he said.
Gachagua also requested an order blocking the swearing-in of Kithure Kindiki, who was nominated by Ruto and approved by Parliament to take over his position as Deputy President.
In his statement, Gachagua recounted two alleged assassination attempts during his time in office. The first incident, he claimed, took place in Kisumu on August 30, where undercover agents reportedly bugged his hotel room and tried to poison his food. “We detected the poison and escaped the scheme,” he said.
The second alleged attempt occurred on September 30 during a meeting with the Kikuyu Council of Elders in Nyeri. Gachagua claimed NIS agents once again attempted to poison his food.
Following these incidents, Gachagua said he reported the threats to the NIS and dismissed his security detail, stating that he no longer felt safe with them around.
He further claimed that his impeachment was orchestrated after the failed attempts to assassinate him. “After the two attempts to kill me failed, that’s when this impeachment motion was hatched,” he asserted.
The former Deputy President also accused the government of withdrawing his security detail while he was hospitalized, leaving him vulnerable. He claimed NIS agents were present at the hospital during his stay, causing him to call his family to stay in his room for added protection.
In a direct appeal to President Ruto, Gachagua said, “I helped you become president. Leave me and my children alone. Do whatever you want, but let me live and care for my children.”
Gachagua also alleged that some government officials had been celebrating his illness, speculating whether he would survive. “It’s the most unfortunate thing that has ever happened in this country,” he said, expressing his disappointment and frustration with the current political climate.
Source: capitalfm
