Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua now says that he will not accept to be intimidated by anybody.

According to the second in command, there is a series of events targeted to him and his allies by specific government agencies, that are meant to instigate fear in him.

For instance, while speaking on Sunday in an interview with Agikuyu media stations, Gachagua alleged that a former NIS officer he hired after he was sacked from the state agency was shot and injured.

Gachagua said that the former National Intelligence Service (NIS) officer was on his way to work at his official Karen residence in Nairobi when he was shot by assassins.

“A former NIS officer whom I hired in my office was followed by a motorcycle to my Karen home and was shot and injured in the shoulder but luckily he went to hospital and the bullet was removed,” he said.

‘They want to tame me politically’

In another allegation, Gachagua claimed that in a bid to tame him politically, his mobile phones were tapped.

“Every person who I have been calling, our phone conversations are tapped and recorded and then they would ask them what they wanted from me, and I am the Deputy President,” he added. “They are trying to sell fear to someone who cannot even be intimidated.” 

Gachagua also rued the treatment of his allies, for example Embakasi Central MP Benjamin Gathiru Mejjadonk, who was “stopped by around ten vehicles at Kenol and they took his phone. They also took (Embakasi North MP) James Gakuya’s phone.”

Mejjadonk and Gakuya are the two MPs allied to Gachagua who were last week grilled by DCI officers over alleged involvement in recent anti-government protests. Close aides to DP Gachagua were also grilled over the same.

Malala’s ouster

During the interview, DP Gachagua aso alleged that he was not consulted in the decision to remove UDA Party Secretary General Cleophas Malala.

He claims that he learnt of Malala’s ouster from his aides.

“Malala was kicked out at 5 am from the ruling party. I was not called to that meeting that decided to remove him from his seat. My aides were the ones informing me that the meeting was held at 5 am and the decision made. This should not be happening because this is the ruling party,” he said.

He said that the Kenya Kwanza Government is currently facing many battles, including the Gen Z protests, and Finance Bill row, and that bringing in UDA Party wrangles was only deteriorating the already precarious situation.