Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has strongly criticized the country’s intelligence system in connection with the mistreatment of Butere Girls High School students in Nakuru.
Speaking at the memorial service for former President Mwai Kibaki in Othaya, Nyeri County, Gachagua pointed fingers at Noordin Haji, the Director General of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), accusing him of failing to prevent the incident.
According to Gachagua, if any concerns had been raised about the play “Echoes of War” performed by the students at Butere Girls, it could have been stopped early on, before reaching the finals in Nakuru.
He emphasized that the failure of the intelligence system allowed the issue to escalate. “The play should have been flagged much earlier if it was deemed inappropriate, but the lack of proper intelligence led to this situation,” Gachagua remarked.
He further criticized the leadership of the NIS, blaming Haji for focusing more on personal interests than on serving the country.
Gachagua claimed that the intelligence officers were not doing their jobs effectively and were more interested in making money through deals, rather than protecting citizens and preventing incidents like the one in Butere Girls.
“The intelligence officers, including the president, seem to be more focused on personal gain, which has led to a breakdown in the system,” he added.
In his speech, Gachagua also addressed the ongoing diplomatic tensions between Kenya and Sudan, accusing President William Ruto’s administration of being involved in illicit arms deals.
He claimed that Sudanese rebel groups were importing weapons through Nairobi and that gold obtained illegally from Sudan was being processed in Kenya.
This, he argued, was fueling the conflict in Sudan. “We are allowing illegal gold to be processed in Kenya, and arms are being smuggled through Nairobi to kill innocent people, including children, in Sudan,” Gachagua stated.
Moreover, Gachagua took a shot at President Ruto’s handling of public funds. He accused the current administration of misusing taxpayer money and forcing Kenyans to pay higher taxes without delivering meaningful services in return.
He drew a comparison to former President Kibaki’s time in office, where Kenyans willingly paid taxes because they saw the benefits in the form of improved services.
“There is nothing wrong with taxation, but the taxes should be used properly, as Mwai Kibaki did. People paid taxes then because they saw the value,” Gachagua argued.
His speech, which was attended by a small group of government officials and opposition leaders, including Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, painted a picture of a government that, according to Gachagua, was failing to live up to the standards set by Kibaki’s leadership.
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