Stop the senseless violence in events involving Rigathi

An ugly swirl of violence is forming around impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua especially while in public functions, which should be nipped in the bud.

Since he was hounded out of office, the former DP has been involved in chaotic events including the latest one in Limuru, Kiambu County on Thursday during a funeral service. Hired goons descended on the burial with stones and chairs directed at Gachagua and his allies.

They were forced to cower under a hail projectiles as their vehicles were damaged by the gang. Mourners and relatives of the deceased were terrified by the attack even as they sought a befitting send off for their loved one.

Women, children and the elderly were injured during the altercation as property was destroyed. Later in the evening, Gachagua blamed state operatives for the chaos in which his bodyguard was seriously injured. He vowed to continue standing with Kenyans needing his moral support.

Last week in Murang’a County, Gachagua was roughed up and denied a chance to address a musical concert organised by a local radio station. There was violence and stone-throwing as the event ended in disarray.

As a former DP, Gachagua is entitled to state security, which the Kenya Kwanza government should provide. The goons that disrupted the Limuru burial should be arrested, prosecuted and those who paid them brought to book. Their so-called sponsors must be named and shamed.

The impeached DP should also be guarded in his utterances and avoid words that can incite violence. He is bound by the Constitution that also protects his freedoms and rights of movement and association. Gachagua must tread carefully even as he navigates the highly politically charged Mt Kenya region following his ouster.

While serving his second term as DP, President William Ruto severed his relationship with then President Uhuru Kenyatta under the Jubilee administration. Ruto’s allies claimed his security had been whittled down and raised similar concerns that Gachagua is raising today.

It is unfortunate that successive administrations seem to exact revenge on former office holders and refuse to respect the institutions. For a just society that respect the rule of law and democracy, we must protect former office holders and treat them with decorum.

And with the next elections nearly three years away, security agents must get to the bottom of the pockets of violence and prosecute the sponsors. If this circle of violence is allowed to continue, it will get worse as we approach the 2027 campaign season.

The intelligence-gathering machinery and the police must arrest the perpetrators of violence and let them face the law. Violence should not be normalised at any price or time.