Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua now says his statement on the 2027 general elections was twisted, stating that he did not assert that there will be post-election violence.
Speaking on Sunday at Christ’s Joy Christian Church in Ndunyu Chege in Murang’a County, he clarified that he was only raising concerns by Kenyans that President William Ruto should not try any election malpractices.
He urged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to remain ethical, adding that history has shown that where there is a contested election there can be violence.
“I never said there would be chaos in Kenya. What I said is that, according to the concerns being raised by Kenyans, there must be no attempts to rig the elections—so that we avoid a repeat of the tragic events of 2007/2008,” he said.
He said it is important to refer to history, urging IEBC to ensure a fair and just election, adding that in the case of a 2027 post-election violence, then it will be far worse than the past occurrence.
Gachagua said it is his civic duty as a leader to caution the country, stating that he warned the government against passing the 2024 Finance Bill.
“When it happened, there was violence, unrest and chaos. I had cautioned the Cabinet,” he said.
“What we are saying is, we have a civic duty as leaders if we see a situation that can cause unrest in the country, we must say so.”
He added, “That does not mean that we are advocating for anybody to fight anybody. We are saying we have seen it before and it can happen again.
The former Deputy President made the remarks during an interview on Obinna TV on Friday, May 16, 2025, where he warned that mismanagement of the 2027 elections could result in violence worse than that experienced in 2007/08.
"With the mood in the country, if the IEBC tries to mess with the elections, there will be no country here. I want to tell you, 2007 will look like a Christmas party," he said during the interview.
