President William Ruto addressing residents of Wajir at
Orahey grounds on February 5, 2025./FILE
The Pastoralists Community Professional Association (PCPA) has condemned former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks he made in the United States, accusing President William Ruto of compromising Kenya’s security.
Speaking in America on Friday, Gachagua claimed that the executive met al-Shabaab representatives in Mandera and allegedly struck a business deal with the outlawed group.
He further alleged that the executive secretly met three leaders of Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab to “discuss business.”
According to Gachagua, the move risked enabling suspected terrorists to be registered as Kenyans and potentially infiltrate other countries to commit attacks.
In a strongly worded statement, PCPA secretary Yunis Ibrahim Sheikh dismissed Gachagua’s allegations as “reckless and defamatory,” saying they were both false and dangerously divisive.
“His unfounded attempt to link easing of vetting protocols affecting ethnic Somali Kenyans to terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab is both false and dangerously divisive,” the statement reads.
The association accused Gachagua of reviving the painful history of ethnic profiling endured by Somali Kenyans and other pastoralist communities in border counties.
It noted that for years, these citizens were denied IDs, passports, and public services under discriminatory vetting policies without valid security reasons.
PCPA defended President William Ruto’s decision to end the vetting system, calling it a lawful and long-overdue step toward fairness.
They also accused Gachagua of a track record of exclusionary politics, including questioning the suitability of pastoralist leaders for senior roles and promoting the controversial idea of “government shareholders.”
“He is now weaponising ethnicity to attack the President and marginalised communities. This is not leadership—it is destructive scapegoating that threatens our fragile national unity,” Yunis said, urging leaders to pursue inclusive policies instead of sowing division.
The association called on relevant agencies to act swiftly to safeguard human rights, national unity, and global peace.
Murkomen: Gachagua Must Explain Terror Allegations
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the former DP will be required to record a statement upon returning to Kenya to explain his terrorism claims.
“He thinks he is going to parade issues of terrorism in America to get votes,” Murkomen said. “As soon as he lands in Kenya, he must tell us exactly which meetings he is having with terrorists.”
Murkomen accused Gachagua of embarrassing the country abroad and trivialising serious national security matters.
Mandera Senator Ali Roba also urged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to apprehend Gachagua, calling his remarks a desperate bid for political mileage.
