PLOT TO ASSASSINATE GACHAGUA BY POISONING - MALALA

The Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) led by the interim Deputy Party leader, Cleophas Malala has accused the government of hatching a plot to abduct and kill former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua upon his return from the United States.

Speaking on Thursday, August 14, Malala pointed out DP Kithure Kindiki and Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen charging them of openly threatening to arrest Gachagua.

Malala alleged that the party had received what it describes as credible intelligence exhibiting a diabolical plan awaiting Gachagua's landing.

“While our Party Leader was abroad forging a path for democratic renewal, the regime was hatching a dangerous and cold-blooded plot. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen have shamelessly issued public threats to arrest H.E. Gachagua upon arrival."

He further continued expressing a plan to replicate the script used to assassinate former politician Kenneth Matiba on Gachagua.

"Intelligence reaching us points to a scheme so evil, so cowardly, that it chills the soul: their intent is to subject him to slow and silent assassination by poisoning – the very same cruel method once inflicted on the late Kenneth Matiba while in state custody. This is not hearsay. It is a deliberate plot to silence the voice of the people by physically destroying its leader."

Malala claimed the alleged plan includes intercepting Gachagua at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), placing him under torture, house arrest, and cutting him off from supporters.

“Their plan upon his arrival at JKIA is to abduct, intimidate, brutalize and eventually place him under house arrest, cut him off from his supporters, and deny him the right to address the nation. They want to kill his voice and his body at the same time. But let this be clear: if they dare lay a hand on him, the country will grind to a halt,” he warned.

The party further warned of firm resistance upon any plans to arrest their leader.

“They did this during his impeachment. He responded by asking his supporters to stand down and protest by singing melodies, but this time round, let the plotters know that the song is different, the rhythm tougher, and we will turn it into a cacophony of defiance. There comes a time when enough has to be enough, and that time is now,” Malala said.

He further alleged that the government is considering diverting Gachagua’s flight to either Mombasa or Kisumu International Airport to block him from addressing the public on arrival.

“Nelson Koech, Chair of the National Assembly Defence Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee, has revealed another calculated provocation: a plan to divert H.E. Gachagua’s flight to Mombasa or Kisumu International Airport so that they deny him an opportunity to give a much-anticipated address to the nation."

The statement further cautioned that the alleged plans would also interfere with the travelling schedules of others travellers on board - indicting Kenya's reputation on the global scope.

"This disruptive plan by a paranoid regime will not only disrupt the travel plans of innocent passengers but also risk damaging Kenya’s foreign relations."

The party urged its supporters to stage mass gatherings at any airport scheduled for Gachagua's landing to prove a shift of Kenya's attention in favour of Gachagua.

“Our message is simple: we will not be intimidated. If they divert the plane, our supporters in Kisumu and Mombasa will turn those airports into oceans of DCP colours and defiance."

The statement concluded by encouraging a huge turnout to usher in the former number two back to the country.

"We are calling upon our supporters in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Mombasa to turn up in unprecedented numbers. This is not just a welcome; it is a statement to the world that Kenya belongs to her people, not to a clique of power-hungry men who weaponise the state against its citizens."

This follows a back-and-forth exchange between Gachagua — whose US itinerary has been marked by a spree of damning allegations against President Ruto's administration, including claims of a Ruto–Al Shabaab shady business link — and Ruto's henchmen, including Murkomen, who urged Gachagua to lodge a legal complaint based on evidences, as well as Kapsaret MP Oscar Sudi and DP Kindiki, who called for his arrest over alleged incitement.

Gachagua announced on Thursday that he would truncate his US itinerary following a demand for his return to Kenya ahead of the forthcoming by-elections, in which his DCP is expected to participate heavily.