Nairobi News

A photo of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua meeting with several police chiefs, including the Nairobi Police boss Adamson Bungei and Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo in his office two days ago has been taken down from Mr Gachagua’s official social media pages.

A scroll through DP Gachagua’s accounts confirmed that the photo was indeed deleted.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kindiki Kithure and the Inspector General of Police, Japheth Koome, were not in the photo shared by DP Gachagua’s press team.

The meeting was held a day before Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Alliance politicians and their supporters took to the streets for a second time this month to protest against the high cost of living and against President William Ruto’s presidency.

Also read: Police yet to respond to Raila’s radio tactics during maandamano

At this time, President William Ruto was out of the country on a four-day visit to Germany and Belgium. The law charged DP Gachagua to be the country’s leader in President Ruto’s absence.

The reasons for the photo being deleted from DP Gachagua’s social media updates remain unclear.

However, the time at which it was brought down fed further into the controversy that the police chiefs and their subordinates failed to act quickly to protect the property of former president Uhuru Kenyatta when hooligans raided his Northlands Northlands Farm on March 27, 2023, and stole livestock believed to be worth Sh 70 million.

They went ahead to set fire to the farm as well.

The police only showed up to the crime scene the following day to assess the damage caused to the property.

A section of Kenyans was of the opinion that the law enforcement officers were ordered to hold off on responding to the emergency which some Kenya Kwanza politicians had allegedly planned.

Also read: Puzzle of Gatundu police guarding Kenyatta’s farm after Raila’s visit

Later that evening, on March 27, 2023, CS Kindiki issued a statement a day after DP Gachagua’s meeting, late in the evening, saying, “We must protect our Country from sliding into irretrievable anarchy.”

CS Kindiki and DP Gachagua are known political rivals after President Ruto chose one over the other to be his running mate ahead of the August 2022 polls.

DP Gachagua has been vocal in accusing Azimio’s leader, Raila Odinga, and Uhuru Kenyatta of corruption and interfering with government operations to paralyze the country.

He also swore that he would never allow Raila Odinga to talk President William Ruto into a handshake deal like he did with former president Uhuru Kenyatta.

The Azimio demonstrations are set to occur every Monday and Thursday until President William Ruto meets a set of conditions by the opposition.

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