Police surround Gachagua's residences -

By Daisy Okiring

Police officers on Sunday evening launched coordinated operations targeting properties associated with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, intensifying political tensions just hours after stern warnings from top government officials.

Eyewitnesses and allies close to the former DP confirmed that his homes in Karen, Nairobi, and Wamunyoro, Nyeri County, were cordoned off by officers believed to be drawn from multiple elite units. Unmarked vehicles and heavily armed personnel were reportedly stationed at the entrances, sparking speculation about the intent of the late-night operation.

Ndegwa Njiru, a lawyer and close associate of Gachagua, took to social media to sound the alarm, alleging that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had taken control of both residences.

“To all media houses and the public: the DCI has surrounded and occupied both Karen and Wamunyoro homes of H.E. Rigathi Gachagua. A manhunt is underway, yet no legal explanation or warrant has been presented,” Njiru posted.

The move came shortly after online chatter claimed Gachagua was being followed by unmarked police vehicles during the day. Photos showing suspected surveillance cars allegedly used to tail him have since gone viral.

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Cleophas Malala, Deputy Party Leader of the Democracy and Citizens Party (DCP), condemned the actions, claiming that officers from the DCI, General Service Unit (GSU), and National Intelligence Service (NIS) were involved in the raid.

“What crime has Gachagua committed to warrant this kind of operation? These are the tactics of a regime afraid of its political shadow,” Malala stated, accusing President Ruto’s administration of misusing security forces for political intimidation.

Meanwhile, Nyandarua Senator John Methu narrated his own brush with security agents, revealing he narrowly escaped arrest by hitching a ride in a pickup truck ferrying avocados.

“To the driver who helped me disappear from their radar, thank you. The Subarus meant no good,” he said in a cryptic post.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki had earlier in the day issued strong statements warning that action would be taken against political leaders allegedly inciting the public ahead of the 2027 general elections. Their remarks came just two days after Gachagua publicly criticized any attempts to tamper with the credibility of future polls.

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With no official statement yet from the government, the standoff has added fuel to a growing narrative of political suppression and power struggles within Kenya’s ruling class.