Murkomen Challenges Gachagua to Record Statement Over Al-Shabaab Allegations

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has demanded that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua record a formal statement with police over explosive claims linking senior government officials to Al-Shabaab.

Speaking in Narok County ahead of the government’s Jukwaa Town Hall meeting, Murkomen dismissed the allegations as “sensationalist and dangerous,” warning that without credible evidence presented to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Gachagua’s remarks would be treated as “comedy and caricature.”

Gachagua, currently on a tour in the United States, recently claimed that a top Kenyan official met Al-Shabaab operatives in Mandera and struck a business deal with the outlawed group. He alleged the meeting involved three militant leaders and warned it could enable suspected terrorists to gain Kenyan citizenship, facilitating international travel for attacks.

Murkomen insisted that failure to cooperate with Kenyan authorities would cast doubt on Gachagua’s honesty. He suggested the ex-DP’s remarks could be influenced by psychological distress following his removal from office, cautioning that such claims threaten national security. He also criticised those amplifying Gachagua’s statements on social media, saying they were encouraging narratives harmful to the country.

In a defiant response from the U.S., Gachagua maintained that he would not engage with Kenyan investigators, insisting he is only answerable to the U.S. Senate, which he claimed is probing the matter.

The allegations have drawn sharp backlash from government officials, with critics accusing Gachagua of making inflammatory and reckless statements. The row underscores rising political tensions and concerns over the impact of unverified security claims on Kenya’s international standing and internal stability.

Murkomen reiterated that the government would only act on credible evidence submitted through official channels, urging the former deputy president to “be taken seriously by following the law.”