By Peter Halima
Nairobi, Kenya– Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has issued a stark directive to lawyers from the Mt Kenya region, urging them to swiftly form legal defense groups. Speaking at the funeral of nominated Nyandarua MCA Beth Wahito in Kinangop, Gachagua vehemently accused President William Ruto of orchestrating a systematic persecution against the community, alleging politically motivated arrests of youth and economic sabotage.
In an emotional address, Gachagua claimed that the community’s youth were being targeted through arrests engineered by the state. He called upon lawyers across the eleven counties of Mt Kenya and beyond to organize themselves quickly.
“All our lawyers in our eleven counties and any other county where our communities are, very quickly, organize yourselves into groups because William Ruto has planned persecution against our boys and our children,” Gachagua stated, directing them to be ready to offer free legal defense. “Lawyers from our community… by the end of the week, form a group of lawyers to defend our youths when they are taken to court.”
The former DP also called on businesspeople within the community to be prepared to raise bond money swiftly for detained youths. “Our businesspeople, I want to give direction, be ready. When we hear that our youths have been arrested and money is needed for bond, you contribute money quickly so our youths can go home. Everyone in this community must now play their part. We have to join hands to protect this community from William Ruto,” he added.
Gachagua painted a grim picture, alleging that the current political assault on the region began when he was still serving as Deputy President. He accused President Ruto of systematically purging Mt Kenya professionals from key government agencies, including the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the police service, and various parastatals.
“When I realized, as Deputy President, that William Ruto had planned to finish us as a community, he sacked our sons and daughters in KRA. He sacked our people in the police, in the parastatals,” Gachagua claimed.
The outspoken Mathira politician further alleged that President Ruto was reviving strategies reminiscent of the KANU regime’s repression, accusing him of attempting to politically divide Mt Kenya East and West for easier control.
Gachagua, who has recently been at loggerheads with the President, also challenged Ruto to arrest him, insisting that jailing him would not silence his political voice. He claimed that the government planned to detain him using the June 25 protests as a pretext. Gachagua vowed that he would continue to lead Mt Kenya politically even from Kamiti Maximum Prison, asserting that he has a team of younger politicians ready to carry on his work.
