From DCI to NIS: Gachagua’s high-level intel on President Ruto Gov't raises eyebrows

The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua is escalating a high-stakes intelligence war against President William Ruto’s administration, asserting that deep-seated leaks within the State security apparatus and State House give him an unprecedented view into the inner workings of government.

By repeatedly anticipating executive moves and releasing sensitive operational details, the former Deputy President is positioning himself as a political actor with an expansive insider network that extends into the highest corridors of power.

For months now, the former DP has revealed sensitive information to the public - either at political rallies or at press conferences - confirming that he has deep access to the inner workings of Ruto's government, has the ear of the President's boys and is armed with top-notch data revolving around the highest ranks of the State House apparatus. 

Speaking during a podcast interview with Herman Manyora on July 31, Gachagua said the information he receives enables him to predict government security operations.

"I have asked the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and people working in parastatals to preserve my credibility because it is good for this country," Gachagua said.

"I want to thank the informants. They gave me good information. I have asked people not to be defiant. I have asked them to give me credible information that is verifiable so that I preserve my relevance."

He added: "I also have a lot of information, and I sometimes don't rush into it. I do a lot of cross-checking because the day I mislead Kenyans, I'll lose my credibility."

A primary flashpoint in this intelligence battle erupted following the fatal shooting of psychiatrist Dr. Victoria Nthunya Mutiso in Nairobi. 

After Gachagua made public declarations raising questions about police involvement in the high-profile assassination, Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin immediately launched a public defence, confirming major breakthroughs while making the startling counter-claim that Gachagua himself had been in phone communication with key suspects and a boda boda operator involved in the operation.

Kenyans were quick to note that Gachagua's address on the Dr. Mutiso matter is what prompted a response from the DCI - and that, were it not for him spilling the beans, there would not have existed the significant progress in the case.

Still, unshaken by the DCI’s claims, Gachagua publicly dared police chief Amin to travel directly to his Wamunyoro residence if investigators wished to record a statement, declaring that he had transcended ordinary political ranks and would not step foot inside police headquarters.

Beyond law enforcement matters, Gachagua has consistently demonstrated advanced awareness of the Executive branch's top strategic manoeuvres. 

Prior to the official unveiling of President Ruto’s long-term Vision 2060 development blueprint, Gachagua preempted the announcement by launching a preemptive critique against the initiative - hours before Ruto went on air. 

He explicitly detailed Ruto's anticipated nighttime speech, publicly dismissing the three-decade framework as an elite distraction from immediate crises facing farmers, high living costs, and rampant insecurity, forcing government officials onto the defensive before the policy could even gain momentum.

The former DP has repeatedly boasted that key figures inside State House and within President Ruto’s close political circle continue to feed him real-time intelligence, maintaining that many of the president’s own men double as his confidants. 

Another example of his deep networks within the secretive government labyrinth is his comments on the renewal of the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) agreement, where he revealed that senior government figures sought a bribe from British officials during discussions over the renewal of the agreement. 

He further claimed that MP Nelson Koech, who chairs the National Assembly's Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee, was later sent to explain the delay in renewing the agreement.

On August 22, the outspoken ex-Mathira MP claimed that government handlers and operatives from the NIS had made desperate attempts to obtain an advance copy of his speech evaluating President Ruto’s four years in power, but failed to do so.

Speaking at the DCP headquarters, Gachagua revealed that state security agents and administration officials had tried to infiltrate his inner circle to catch a preview of his highly anticipated assessment titled 'Ruto at Four.'

However, he stated that the intelligence apparatus was thwarted because the document was drafted in complete secrecy. 

The openly brazen proclamations of state penetration have sparked anxiety within government ranks, prompting Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to denounce Gachagua’s claims of receiving advance intelligence from security officers. 

Speaking during a service at ACK St. Stephen's Chepkoilel in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, attended by President Ruto, Murkomen dismissed Gachagua’s claims that NIS and DCI officers had tipped him off about the Head of State’s planned Vision 2060 announcement.

"Nilikuwa naona juzi mtu anasimama tu anaanza kusema ati Rais ataenda kuzindua Vision 2060 nimeambiwa na NIS, nimeambiwa na DCI na ni uwongo tupu," Murkomen said.

The Interior CS said details of Ruto’s address were already in the public domain, noting that the President had announced on his official Facebook page on the morning of July 27 that he would speak about Kenya’s future before unveiling the proposed post-2030 development framework.

Murkomen accused Gachagua of exploiting national security matters for political mileage, insisting that Kenya’s intelligence and security agencies must remain professional and non-partisan.

He further described the former Deputy President as "the most irresponsible leader" to have occupied one of the country’s highest offices, accusing him of repeatedly disparaging security agencies and undermining public confidence in Kenya’s national security architecture.

Also reacting to Gachagua's flagrant assertions, DCI Amin termed the claims as false and reckless, warning that his statements undermine public confidence in the country's security institutions and could compromise national security.

Speaking on August 3, during the launch of a multi-agency initiative to combat hate speech ahead of the 2027 General Election, Amin said officers serving in the National Police Service (NPS) remain professional and disciplined in the execution of their duties.

"Our officers are professional officers who execute their duties professionally, diligently and with utmost discipline. So let us not purport that you receive information from members of the security. That is a big lie," Amin said.

Trade union leaders and state allies have similarly issued stern warnings to intelligence and police personnel against leaking confidential records to Gachagua, cautioning that revealing state secrets in public forums directly jeopardizes national security and the careers of civil servants. 

Despite these warnings, Gachagua’s continuous stream of preemptive disclosures underscores a formidable counter-intelligence capability that continues to unsettle the administration and catch the President's innermost protagonists unawares.