Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has come out strongly, saying he is not shaken by threats of arrest allegedly coming from President William Ruto’s administration.
Gachagua made the remarks just hours before he was scheduled to travel abroad on the night of Tuesday, July 9, for an extended trip to the United States.
While addressing the media during a press conference on Wednesday, July 9, Gachagua alleged that some individuals close to President Ruto had issued threats through his inner circle.
According to him, these individuals warned that there were plans to block him from boarding his flight for the US, where he is set to engage with Kenyans living abroad.
“Today, people close to William Ruto called some of my allies and said they will try to stop me from leaving the country,” Gachagua revealed. “But I am not afraid. If they want to arrest me at the airport as they are threatening, let them go ahead.
You cannot scare us with fear. And even if fear was something you could sell, we would never buy it.”
The former DP emphasized that whether or not he is stopped from travelling, he will continue to speak out and defend those being detained under what he described as politically motivated and fabricated terrorism charges.
He further mentioned that the United Opposition movement had already put together a strong team of lawyers to defend those who have been arrested in connection with recent protests.
This comes after the Director of Public Prosecutions, on July 8, gave the green light to charge 37 people with terrorism-related offenses.
These individuals are accused of participating in acts of destruction, including setting the Kiambu Law Courts on fire during the June 25 protests held in memory of victims of police brutality. Among those charged are two individuals said to be close allies of Gachagua.
On the same day Gachagua addressed the press, Manyatta Member of Parliament Gitonga Mukunji, another of his allies, appeared in court to answer to terrorism charges. He is accused of financing groups that participated in the violent July 7 Saba Saba Day demonstrations.
Despite these legal challenges, Gachagua remains focused on his mission abroad. He is scheduled for a two-month tour of the United States — his first international trip since he was pushed out of office in October 2024.
Between July and August, the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader is expected to tour various US states including Texas, California, Washington, Massachusetts, and Maryland.
During the tour, he plans to hold town hall meetings and attend social events with Kenyan diaspora communities in a bid to gather support and encourage voter registration ahead of the 2027 general election.
Gachagua is also expected to engage with selected American investors and business leaders. This move is part of his broader plan to present the opposition coalition as a strong and credible alternative to the current government in the upcoming elections.
The trip is seen as a significant step in Gachagua’s political comeback as he pushes to rebrand himself and his party on the global stage, while at the same time defending his loyal supporters back home who are currently facing serious legal battles.
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