Kenya’s Gachagua Rejects Claims He Bankrolled Violent Youth Protests

Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Friday rejected accusations that he financed gangs blamed for violence during recent youth-led demonstrations, arguing that if the alleged "goons" belonged to him they would have been met with lethal force or promptly arrested. He questioned how unarmed groups were able to overrun a police station and raid supermarkets while officers looked on, saying the Interior Ministry must respect the intelligence of the public. Gachagua added that he had stayed away from Wednesday’s rallies at the request of Gen-Z organisers to avoid claims of political ownership. He recalled that his defence of the 2024 youth protests had strained his relationship with President William Ruto, who at the time branded the demonstrators criminals. "They are my sons and daughters and deserve to be heard, not massacred," the deputy president said. Earlier, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and other allies of President Ruto demanded the arrest of anyone financing unrest, vowing not to permit "anarchy". Transport Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen was also criticised by Gachagua, who described him as "full of himself because of money and power" yet lacking authority to order police to shoot protesters. Opposition lawmakers likewise denied sponsoring violence, with Dan Maanzo, Sabina Chege Mbui and Patrick Muhiu insisting they had no role in hiring trouble-makers and had no intention of seizing power "through the back door". Each side’s mutual finger-pointing underscores deepening political fissures as Kenya grapples with recurring cost-of-living protests driven largely by young people.