The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has issued a notice of cessation to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks he made on February 23, 2025, at AIPCA Antubetwe Kiongo Church in Igembe North, Meru County.
In his speech, Gachagua accused President William Ruto of orchestrating the removal of Chief Justice Martha Koome due to her ethnic background. “The president has planned to remove Chief Justice Martha Koome. He started with me, then Mithika Linturi. He has issued bribes just to see her out of office,” he claimed.
Gachagua further played the tribal card by suggesting that the president was systematically eliminating Mt. Kenya leaders from government. “William Ruto, God will not allow you to make the people of Mt. Kenya suffer under your regime,” he added.
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NCIC, through its chairperson Samuel Kobia, raised concerns that these statements could incite animosity among the Ameru community and fuel negative ethnicity. The commission dismissed Gachagua’s remarks as misleading and warned that they could disrupt peaceful coexistence in the country.
Additionally, NCIC faulted Gachagua’s warning that President Ruto should not visit Meru if Koome is removed from office, stating that it violated the President’s constitutional right to access all parts of the country.
The commission has urged political leaders to exercise caution in their public statements to prevent the escalation of ethnic tensions and ensure continued peace and stability.