Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Saturday launched an attack on impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of promoting divisive politics, sponsoring criminal gangs and fuelling violence in the country.
Speaking at Kimwogo Grounds in Elgeyo Marakwet County during the launch of the Kabiemit Community Empowerment Programme on Saturday, Murkomen claimed Gachagua was the "father of violence" and said the former deputy president feared him because he knew his political conduct.
"The reason Gachagua fears me is that I know him, and I know he's the father of violence in our country," Murkomen said.
The Interior CS further accused Gachagua of misleading Kenyans through what he termed deceptive politics, arguing that the public was increasingly seeing through his actions.
"He has conned people for far too long, but I want to tell him, 'You can con some people some of the time, but you cannot con all the people all the time,'" he said.
Murkomen's remarks come in the aftermath of the June 25 protests, which he described as unsuccessful attempts by opposition politicians to mobilise demonstrations across the country.
Without naming specific individuals beyond Gachagua, the Cabinet Secretary alleged that some political leaders were using violence and criminal gangs to pursue their political objectives.
He warned that security agencies would take decisive action against anyone found to be recruiting or sponsoring criminal groups.
"Any person who is involved in recruiting gangs and criminals, we will deal with them decisively and in accordance with the law," Murkomen said.
He maintained that the government would not tolerate lawlessness or the use of violence as a political tool, reiterating the state's commitment to maintaining peace and public order.
Murkomen spoke during an event promoting the Kabiemit Community Empowerment Programme, an initiative spearheaded by Caroline Ngelechei in partnership with the OKM Foundation. The programme seeks to complement the government's development agenda by promoting job creation, financial inclusion and broad-based economic growth.
The event was attended by Wisley Rotich, County Assembly Speaker Lawi Kibire, Gideon Kimaiyo, Marianne Kitany, members of the county assembly and other local leaders.
Murkomen did not provide evidence to support his allegations against Gachagua during his address.