Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has condemned former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s remarks on the probability of the next General Election becoming bloody and deadly.
Speaking on Saturday in Matisi, Kitale, Mr Murkomen said the former DP’s remarks are enough to bar him from holding any public office.
“Those remarks alone is enough to bar that person from holding any public office,” Mr Murkomen said.
“Forget about impeachment… because many people lost their loved ones in the 2007/2008 [post-election violence]. Some people have never recovered, and somebody is promising that violence will escalate in the next elections.”
He urged political leaders to refrain from making remarks that could plunge the country into a crisis.
“If you’re a politician and you’re defeated and lose your seat, don’t make it a national crisis. That is a personal crisis,” Mr Murkomen said, urging political leaders to take responsibility for their actions.
"Don’t harm the entire country because of your political problems. And we will not allow it,” he added.
Mr Murkomen emphasized that under his leadership at the Interior Ministry, the country will not backslide into any form of political violence.
“We will not allow our country to go back to any form of violence. Never, ever, again,” he vowed. “Not under his watch… People will not die for you to occupy office.”
His remarks came just hours after Mr Gachagua, during an interview with Obinna Live TV on May 16, warned that any attempt to interfere with the 2027 election results and subvert the will of the people could lead to unprecedented unrest.
"I'm saying, mood in the country, if that IEBC tries to mess with the election, there will be no country here. 2007 will look like a Christmas party. I can tell you," Mr Gachagua said.
The December 2007 elections nearly plunged Kenya into civil war, leaving 1,500 dead and over 600,000 displaced.
Since then, elections have remained high-stakes affairs, with memories of that violence still haunting every electoral cycle.
Mr Gachagua made the claims when he was making reference to the new team nominated by President William Ruto to lead the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
"I want to implore those Commissioners to be Kenyans, to be patriotic, and not to attempt to force William Ruto on the people of Kenya. It will not work. The people of Kenya will not accept it. People want to change, and they are ready for change," he said.
President Ruto nominated Erastus Edung Ethekon, a former Turkana County attorney, to chair the IEBC.
He also nominated Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu, Mr Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Ms Mary Karen Sorobit, Mr Hassan Noor Hassan, Prof Francis Odhiambo Aduol and Ms Fahima Araphat Abdallah as commissioners.
According to CS Murkomen, that dark past of 2007/2008 was a lesson for the country.
The CS also addressed the recent violence that erupted during the launch of Gachagua’s political party in Nairobi on Thursday.
He said he had been briefed by the Inspector General of Police that investigations are ongoing and assured the public that all those involved would be held accountable.
Elsewhere, Dr Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet led a host of MPs from the Western region into wading off any invasion of the Gachagua party, Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), into perceived UDA and ODM territories, asking the people of Western Kenya to reject the newly birthed political party.
MPs Mary Emase (Teso North), Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani), Beatrice Adagala (Vihiga County), Christopher Aseka (Khwisero), Innocent Mugabe (Likuyani) and Geofrey Mulanya (Nambale) and Elsie Muhanda (Kakamega county) vowed to lock Western region from invasion by the DCP which has the former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala the deputy party leader.
The leaders promised to ensure that Gachagua’s new party, which is likely to form a coalition with prospective allies like Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua of People’s Liberation Party (PLP) and DAP-K of Eugene Wamalwa, must fall.
Major political formations are yet to take shape even though battle lines have been drawn with the race shaping up between President Ruto and the opposition.
Mr Aseka said Mr Gachagua segregated Western region when he served as the deputy president focusing on his Mt Kenya region and he does not merit to get any benefit from the people of this region.
“He declared that the Kenya Kwanza government was formed on the basis of shares, which translated to the number of votes given to President Ruto in the 2022 presidential polls. He had a scheme to block development projects from coming to Western claiming that we supported ODM leader Raila Odinga. Now it is our turn to lock him out. Luhyas will not adopt a party that is set to divide Kenyans along tribal lines again,” said Mr Aseka.
Mr Kibet said Mr Gachagua was removed from office because of tribal politics and had gone ahead to form a tribal party to push his agenda.
He criticised Mr Gachagua’s party styling it as ‘Divide Community Party’ and downplayed its prospects.
“The party lacks colour and taste. Even its slogan is pale. Its launch was marred with confusion indicating a disorganized leadership of the party. A community party has no space in Kenya at a time Ruto is struggling to bring together all Kenyans,” said Mr Kibet.
Ms Emase, asked the people of Western to back the Kenya Kwanza government, which she claimed aims to fight poverty against those seeking to divide the country.
Reporting by Daniel Ogetta, Evans Jaola and Shaban Makokha
