"Mniombee": Gachagua asks for prayers ahead of Emurua Dikirr visit

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Rigathi Gachagua has asked supporters to pray for his safety ahead of his Emurua Dikirr visit

- The former deputy president claimed senior government officials were warning him against visiting the constituency

- Gachagua also challenged police IG Douglas Kanja to guarantee the safety of his supporters during the planned rally

Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has asked his supporters to pray for his safety ahead of his planned visit to Emurua Dikirr on Friday, August 21, claiming senior government officials are plotting to have him attacked.

Gachagua said he would travel to the constituency after receiving an invitation from Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Vincent Rotich, who finished second in the recent Emurua Dikirr by-election behind UDA's David Kipsang Keter.

Speaking at his Wamunyoro residence, Gachagua claimed Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo and other government officials had warned him against visiting the area.

Rigathi Gachagua reveals plans to visit Homa Bay following Linda Mwananchi chaos: "Wameniambia kuja"

“I will go to the Kalenjins tomorrow, in Emurua Dikirr. They have invited me there. Kasongo and Murkomen are threatening me and warning me not to set foot there. I want you to pray for me, will you?” Gachagua said.

“Will you pray for me so that when I go there, I be able to come back? But we are not afraid, and we cannot be cowed. The Kalenjins have told me to go there, and they will guard me. So tomorrow, I will be there,” he added.

Why is Gachagua asking for prayers?

Gachagua's remarks came after he formally notified Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja about his planned visit, saying he intended to address thousands of supporters alongside other leaders during a thanksgiving event for Rotich.

In his letter to Kanja, Gachagua said he was concerned that goons and plain-clothes police officers had allegedly been mobilised to intimidate him and his supporters.

He claimed the alleged plan could result in violence worse than the incident witnessed during Linda Mwananchi rallies in Homa Bay, where at least two people were killed and several others injured.

“What happened in Homa Bay was a shame of the highest magnitude in post-independence Kenya, and by now, you should have resigned as the Inspector General of the National Police Service,” Gachagua told Kanja.

The former deputy president reminded the police chief of his constitutional mandate, arguing that every Kenyan has the right to travel and visit any part of the country without intimidation.

Gachagua also cited several previous incidents in which he claimed he and his supporters had been attacked by goons and plain-clothes police officers, alleging that no action had been taken against those responsible.

He challenged Kanja to guarantee the safety of his team and residents during the Emurua Dikirr visit.

“Therefore, Mr Kanja, can you assure the country that my entourage, the people of Emurua Dikirr and I will be safe on August 21? Can you assure the country that you are adequately aware that my supporters and I will be in Emurua Dikirr? Can you inform the people of Kenya that you have put in place adequate security measures to protect life and property in Emurua Dikirr on August 21?” he asked.

What did Gachagua say about Johanna Ng'eno's death?

Gachagua's planned visit comes days after he made fresh allegations concerning the death of former Emurua Dikirr MP Johanna Ng'eno.

The former lawmaker was among six people killed when a helicopter crashed in Elgeyo Marakwet in June 2025.

Gachagua recently claimed the aircraft had been refuelled with adulterated jet fuel shortly before the crash, suggesting this may have contributed to the fatal incident.

He did not provide evidence to support the allegation.

“I want to get to Ng'eno's mother and tell her all I know about her son's death before I tell the rest of Kenyans. I want to tell her how her son was killed and what I know,” Gachagua previously said.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.