NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 27 — Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has sharply escalated his public feud with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, branding him the “father of violence” and accusing him of sponsoring criminal gangs and promoting divisive politics.
Speaking at Kimwogo Grounds in Elgeyo Marakwet County during the Kabiemit Community Empowerment Programme, Murkomen alleged that Gachagua was using violence and misinformation to advance his political agenda.
“The reason Gachagua fears me is that I know him, and I know he’s the father of violence in our country,” Murkomen said, adding that the former deputy president has a “twisted mind” and does not believe in the country’s governance systems.
The Interior Cabinet Secretary further accused Gachagua of misleading Kenyans through what he described as political double-speak.
“He has conned people for far too long, but I want to tell him, ‘You can con some people some of the time, but you cannot con all the people all the time,’” he said.
Murkomen’s latest remarks came two days after the June 25 Gen Z anniversary demonstrations, which the government described as largely peaceful, and followed weeks of increasingly acrimonious exchanges between the two leaders.
He also alleged that some politicians were exploiting public protests by recruiting criminal gangs to foment violence, warning that the government would take firm action against those responsible.
“Any person who is involved in recruiting gangs and criminals, we will deal with them decisively and in accordance with the law,” he warned.
The latest exchange marks a further escalation in the rivalry between Murkomen and Gachagua, whose disagreements have increasingly centred on the government’s handling of anti-government protests and national security.
In a lengthy statement issued on Thursday, Gachagua alleged that security agencies and what he termed “state-sponsored goons” had planned violence against protesters, but claimed his appeal for Kenyans to stay at home helped avert bloodshed.
“I sincerely thank my dear sons and daughters—the Gen Zs—for heeding my plea to avoid death and injury. They had planned to harm you in a big magnitude today,” Gachagua said.
He further claimed that patriotic police officers and civil servants had informed him of alleged government plans to finance criminal gangs, although he did not provide evidence to support the claims.
“To the patriotic civil servants who tipped me off about the KSh200 million withdrawn to pay goons to wreak havoc, on behalf of the people of Kenya, we thank you most sincerely,” he said.
Gachagua also urged Kenyans to pursue political change through the ballot in the 2027 General Election.
“I plead with the people of Kenya to stay alive, stay safe and register as voters… We shall liberate our country through the mechanism provided for by our Constitution; the ballot.”
The latest exchange comes just days after Murkomen dismissed Gachagua’s claims that his life was in danger and rejected allegations that security agencies were targeting him.
Responding to the accusations on June 25, Murkomen accused the former deputy president of seeking political attention and ethnicising national security issues.