‘Kama wewe ni mwanaume niweke kwa cell!’ Gachagua dares Murkomen to arrest him over Mungiki claims

The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has hit back at Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over allegations linking him to the outlawed Mungiki sect, daring the security chief to arrest him instead of issuing shallow threats.

Speaking on Saturday in Embu during DCP’s ‘Meet the People’ tour, Gachagua defended young people from the Mt. Kenya region, maintaining that they’re only protecting their community from hired gangs and were not members of the outlawed sect.

He then directly challenged the Interior CS to act on his threats by arresting him.

"Huyu kijana wa Ruto anaitwa Murkomen, jana anaita vijana wetu Mungiki kwa sababu tumesema hakuna siku tutakubalia goons kuja hapa kuvuruga mikutano yetu na kusumbua watu hapa Mlimani,” he said.

"Wewe hapana tisha sisi, kama wewe ni mwanaume si ukamate Riggy G upeleke kwa cell. Kwa mwaka mmoja umetisha Riggy G, oh, utatuona, mara tutakushika…unangoja nini? Si unishike uonane na hawa watu wa Mlima Kenya. Kama wewe ni mwanaume kamili, si ukuje unikamate…mimi niko na jeshi, vijana si mko?"

Gachagua further accused the government of failing to protect residents, saying communities had a right to defend themselves from criminal gangs and police excesses.

The former Deputy President instead challenged Murkomen to deploy alleged goons to the Mt. Kenya region, maintaining that local youth would defend their communities.

"Tumesema vijana wetu watalinda mikutano yetu, makanisa yetu, viongozi wao na biashara zetu. Sasa wewe Murkomen ulikua unatuma wahuni na polisi kupiga na kuumiza watu hapa na kuharibu mali, lakini pale Ol Kalou tulikuonyesha kivumbi. Vijana walijipanga wakapiga wahuni wakawatorosha wote na polisi ulituma wakafukuzwa ndio sasa unalia ati polisi watapigwa," he said.

"Hapa mlimani kama wewe ni mwanaume tuma goons leo uonane na watu wa mlima kenya. Hiyo maneno mmezoea kubandika sisi majina, ati ukasema hawa wakikuyu ni Muingiki ndio muanze kuumiza vijana. Hawa ni vijana wetu na si Mungiki na si wahuni.”

Gachagua went on to accuse the President William Ruto-led administration of developing a tendency of slurring and name-calling communities in a bid to justify the use of brutal police force.

He thus told off Murkomen, reiterating that Mt. Kenya youths should not be profiled as Mungiki members and criminals.

"Murkomen, you have pushed us to the wall and if the government cannot protect us, we will protect ourselves as a community; we have a right to self-defence, and we shall protect ourselves from goons and the police. Those young men you are calling Mungiki, shame on you! They are here to protect their businesses, our churches, women,” Gachagua said.

“They are not criminals; they are people who have taken a firm stance to protect their community, their churches, their leaders, their women and what the community believes in."

The former DP also vowed that political meetings in the Mt. Kenya region would no longer be disrupted by gangs or security officers.

"As a leader of this community, I have said that never again will goons and police be sent here to bring chaos and disrupt peace in Mt Kenya."

His remarks come a day after Murkomen accused the former Deputy President of mobilising members of the outlawed Mungiki sect and using criminal gangs to intimidate government officials and political opponents.

Speaking during a security assessment tour of Kerio Valley in Tiaty, Baringo County, the Interior CS alleged that Gachagua was organising members of the outlawed group against government and electoral officials.

"I know what you are doing, Gachagua. You are organising Mungiki against government officials and against electoral officials, but I want to tell you we will not allow you," Murkomen said.

The Cabinet Secretary further warned that the government would begin dismantling criminal gangs allegedly linked to the DCP leader.

"We will deal with goons, and we will start with your goons," he declared.

Murkomen maintained that criminal gangs had terrorised Kenyans for years, arguing that the current administration was the first to publicly commit to eliminating them.

The CS also accused Gachagua of orchestrating violent groups while serving as Deputy President, including organising gangs to attack opposition supporters during the 2023 anti-government protests and individuals linked to the invasion of former President Uhuru Kenyatta's Northlands Farm.