Heavy Police Deployment at JKIA Ahead of Rigathi Gachagua’s Return from U.S. Tour

A heavy police presence was witnessed Thursday at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi as former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua prepared to return from his six-week tour of the United States.

By mid-morning, anti-terror officers had taken positions across key points of the airport, while water cannons were strategically parked in anticipation of possible unrest. The deployment comes as Gachagua’s supporters, clad in Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) regalia, gathered in large numbers to welcome their leader.

The embattled DCP leader, who was impeached last October following a bitter fallout with President William Ruto, is returning to Kenya after a series of public forums in the U.S. where he rallied diaspora supporters and raised concerns about corruption, extrajudicial killings, and human rights violations.

DCP has urged more than one million supporters to flood JKIA and later converge at Kamukunji grounds, where Gachagua is expected to address a rally. However, the government has cautioned against any breach of public order. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen warned that authorities would not hesitate to take legal action if the mass mobilisation turned chaotic. He further stressed that any rally would only be sanctioned if police were duly notified for security arrangements.

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja confirmed that the National Police Service (NPS) is in charge of all security operations surrounding Gachagua’s return, assuring Kenyans that police expect “normalcy” to prevail.

Gachagua’s homecoming is shaping up as a test of strength between his loyal supporters and State authorities, with the political temperature already rising in Nairobi.