Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has spoken out about a Thursday incident that forced him to flee a funeral service in Limuru, Kiambu County after goons disrupted the event and indiscriminately attacked mourners.
In a statement on X, Gachagua insinuated that the State had intentionally withdrawn his security detail to facilitate such an attack.
“Earlier this week the government withdrew the final aspects of my security that was in place after the impeachment process we are contesting. We did not raise issue with this decision although expectations were that any Kenyan who has served at the level of government that I was privileged to serve at, would be secured by government even after leaving office,” he said.
“However it now looks like the decision to withdraw my security was to leave me exposed to the kind of attack we have witnessed today.”
Gachagua recounted the incident at the funeral of a young man named Erastus Nduati, noting that goons specifically targeted him and descended on mourners with all manner of crude weapons, indiscriminately attacking both women and children.
“Today, I was at a funeral service in Limuru for a young man called Erastus Nduati. While we were preparing to lay the young man to rest goons attacked us & the other mourners who were present, including children. The gangsters were armed with stones, machetes, iron bars & sticks,” he said in the X statement accompanied with pictures of one of his vehicles damaged during the incident.
“They descended randomly on mourners present and attacked them using the weapons they had. A specific group followed me as I went to my car, which they proceeded to attack with stones and iron bars. We literally drove out of the venue under a hail of rocks!”
Further, Gachagua expressed his dismay over the state of affairs, condemning the government’s alleged role in the incident.
“This is very sad state of affairs and a major low for the state, who were clearly complicit in these actions. We just especially remember the family that had a loved one in a casket, who had to run to safety despite their profound grief,” he said.
“We will not be scared away from standing with Kenyans who need us to support them in their moments of need. We just expect such a terrible moment of shame will not be repeated.”
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