Rigathi Gachagua Accuses Kipchumba Murkomen of Orchestrating Ol Kalou Election Violence

Rigathi Gachagua, leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party, accused Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen of orchestrating state-sponsored violence during the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election. Gachagua alleged that Murkomen authorized the deployment of armed gangs and rogue police to intimidate voters, resulting in one death, 20 injuries, and the rape of 68 women. He further asserted these operations were carried out under the authority of President William Ruto.

The National Police Service dismissed these claims. Central Regional Police Commander Geoffrey Mayek stated that no rape incidents were reported before, during, or after the voting process, warning that such unverified reports could breed mistrust and cause public panic. Despite the denials, Inspector General Douglas Kanja directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to investigate unidentified individuals observed moving through the constituency during the election.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen responded by stating that anyone found culpable for causing havoc must be arrested. Gachagua rejected this response, arguing that if Murkomen called for an investigation, he should investigate himself, as the perpetrators used weapons accessible only to police. These allegations surfaced after reports of masked men in unmarked vehicles assaulting journalists and using tear gas during the poll, in which Democracy for Citizens Party candidate Sammy Douglas Kamau Waweru was declared the winner.