NAIROBI, Kenya – April 15, 2025
Kenya’s former Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, has issued a powerful and urgent letter to the country’s top security chiefs alleging multiple attempts on his life and accusing high-ranking officials of orchestrating a campaign of harassment, surveillance, and violence against him and his family.
The letter, dated 15th April 2025, is addressed to the Inspector General of Police Mr. Douglas Kanja and President William Ruto, among other senior state and international actors. In it, Gachagua recounts a chilling series of assassination attempts and coordinated attacks involving police officers, organized criminal gangs, and National Intelligence Service (NIS) operatives.
“You withdrew my security in a clear thought-out scheme and backward conspiracy to make me vulnerable to organized criminal gangs in cohort with the Police and other Security Agencies,” Gachagua writes.
The former Deputy President, who served from September 2022 until his impeachment in 2024, details at least six specific incidents between November 2024 and April 2025 where he claims to have survived targeted attacks. Among them:
•28th November 2024: An alleged assassination attempt at a funeral in Limuru where he was attacked by criminal gangs as police watched.
•18th January 2025: A disrupted prayer rally in Nyeri where his spouse, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, had to be whisked away for safety.
•6th April 2025: A violent invasion of a church service in Nairobi by machete-wielding gangs, while police reportedly failed to intervene.
Gachagua accuses the Inspector General and other security leaders of complicity, stating:
“Mr. Kanja, you are clearly perpetuating crime and violence.”
The letter outlines ten key demands, including the immediate arrest of perpetrators, restoration of his security, protection of his family and property, and a halt to the stalking and harassment by NIS officers. He concludes with a stark warning:
“Take firm notice that [if] further violence and assassination attempts be meted on me… you will be personally responsible to the people of the Republic of Kenya and to the entire world.”
In an unprecedented move, Gachagua has CC’d international bodies, including the International Commission of Jurists and foreign diplomatic missions, signaling an escalation of his appeal beyond national borders.
This letter, which was signed by Gachagua himself, comes at a time of growing political tension in Kenya following his controversial impeachment. Its tone and content suggest that Gachagua is not just fearing for his political career—but for his life.
[Attached are the full pages of the letter submitted by Rigathi Gachagua.]
This is a developing story. Updates to follow.