Kinangop parliamentary hopeful Ken Njohi has stirred political debate after alleging a covert plan to arrest former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua during President William Ruto’s absence from the country.
Speaking at a public event on Sunday, June 30, 2025, Njohi warned that certain elements within government circles are seizing the opportunity to sideline Gachagua while the President is away on what he termed an “unimportant trip.”
Njohi claimed that forces opposed to Gachagua are pressuring the courts to confiscate his passport and bar him from traveling to the United States, a trip the former Deputy President is reportedly planning.
According to Njohi, this move is not only politically motivated but also a dangerous misuse of the justice system aimed at suppressing Gachagua’s rising influence.
“There’s a plot, and it’s no secret anymore,” Njohi said. “Some people want to take advantage of the President’s absence to eliminate political competition. They’re trying to paint Gachagua as a threat and push for court orders that will stop him from leaving the country. But this is more than travel—it’s about silencing voices that speak truth to power.”
Njohi’s remarks come amid simmering political tensions within the Kenya Kwanza alliance, where speculation continues over internal power struggles and succession battles.
Gachagua, who has maintained a low profile in recent months, is believed to be reenergizing his political base in the Mt. Kenya region, a move that has rattled some within the ruling camp.
The Kinangop politician warned that using the judiciary as a political tool could set a dangerous precedent, urging state institutions to remain neutral and uphold democratic principles.
“If we allow such schemes to go unchallenged, we will be walking a very dangerous path,” Njohi cautioned. “Kenya belongs to all of us, and no one should be targeted simply for having political ambition.”
As Gachagua’s supporters grow increasingly vocal, it remains to be seen whether these claims will materialize or fade as just another chapter in the country’s complex political theatre.
By Nairobi