Former DP Rigathi Gachagua has criticised the government over healthcare failures, evictions and alleged police brutality, accusing President William Ruto of harming ordinary Kenyans.
He claimed hospital patients lack basic services and condemned Gikomba night demolitions as “inhuman”. Gachagua also signalled opposition unity ahead of elections, urging resilience among traders affected by recent enforcement operations across the country.
Speaking in Makueni County on Tuesday, the former Deputy President expressed concern over conditions in public hospitals, claiming patients are struggling to access basic services.
“It’s a shame that in Kenya, national hospital patients pay for their stay but funds are not remitted back to the hospital to help the patients to buy drugs and to buy food,” he said.
He alleged that the situation has contributed to worsening conditions for patients. “Patients in Kenya National Hospital are not dying because of the disease that brought them to hospital, but they are dying for lack of food,” he said.
The former DP also linked his remarks to broader political mobilisation efforts, saying opposition leaders are preparing for what he described as a “liberation” of the country.
“We are excited to be here in Makueni, because the people are resolute that they want to be part and parcel of the forthcoming liberation of the Republic of Kenya,” he said.
He added that opposition leaders are united around plans to field a single presidential candidate in the next election, who will compete against President William Ruto.
Gachagua further accused the government of attempting to suppress criticism through intimidation.
“I want to assure the people of Kenya that on a daily basis, we’ll continue to expose William Ruto and his government on all the evil things that are going on in the country,” he said.
“We will not be intimidated by personal attacks and attempts to divert us from what we need to do for the people of Kenya.”
The former Deputy President also condemned Gikomba market night demolitions and evictions, describing them as inhumane and poorly executed.
“What happened last night is inhuman and unacceptable. It is persecution of small traders,” he said.
He argued that evictions should only take place under humane conditions, with prior arrangements made for those affected.
“In the new administration, demolitions and evictions will never happen, and if they have to happen, the people being evicted must first be relocated,” he said.
“We also did agree that no demolition and eviction will ever be done at night.”
Gachagua claimed that such actions contradict earlier agreements and reflect a broader pattern of governance failures.
Gikomba Market, one of East Africa’s largest informal markets, has a long history of demolitions and government crackdowns dating back to the 1970s, often linked to illegal structures, congestion and safety concerns.
The night demolitions targeting traders were largely tied to efforts by authorities to reclaim land along the Nairobi River and remove structures considered illegal or built on riparian reserves.
Government officials argue such actions are necessary to restore environmental integrity, reduce flooding risks and improve urban planning.
Reports indicate that eviction notices had been issued prior to the demolitions. In some cases, traders were given up to 14 days to vacate areas deemed illegal, though many have disputed the adequacy or enforcement of these notices.
The demolitions, some carried out at night, have drawn controversy, particularly after court interventions.
The Environment and Land Court had at one point halted planned evictions affecting more than 3,000 traders, ordering the status quo to be maintained pending hearings.
Government plans for Gikomba focus on reorganising the market, improving infrastructure and formalising trade spaces.
This includes clearing encroachments, upgrading facilities and integrating the market into broader urban renewal programmes.
Gikomba remains a critical economic hub, supporting up to 100,000 livelihoods, meaning any intervention carries significant social and economic consequences.
Gachagua highlighted how the President went against what they agreed on when he was still the DP.
“I started differing to William Ruto when he went against what we had agreed and started a systematic problem of evicting people from their land,” he said.
He further accused security agencies of using excessive force during enforcement operations.
“Why do you release policemen with such vicious brutality, even in the middle of the night to persecute the people of Kenya?” he asked.
“I want to ask the traders to take heart and to appreciate that difficult as things are, our day is coming,” he said.
Gachagua also dismissed reports of a proposed attempt of arrest of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja as a distraction.
“The proposed arrest of Sakaja was diversionary, it was meant to take attention away,” he said.
The attempted arrest of Johnson Sakaja marks the latest escalation in a long-running standoff between county governments and the Senate over oversight powers and accountability.
Police in Nairobi moved to arrest the Nairobi governor following a directive by the Senate County Public Accounts Committee, which had summoned him to respond to audit queries on the county’s 2024/2025 financial year.
Authorities said the move was aimed at enforcing compliance after he repeatedly failed to honour the summons, an act deemed as contempt of Parliament.
The committee had earlier imposed a fine of Sh500,000 and directed the Inspector General of Police to produce him before it, escalating the matter into a law enforcement issue.
