A war of words has emerged between former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) after the agency rejected his accusations over alleged abductions, police shootings, enforced disappearances and mysterious deaths.
Gachagua, who leads the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), used a press conference on Tuesday, August 11, to launch strong criticism against the government and security agencies.
He raised concerns over what he described as a breakdown of law and order and questioned the conduct of officers involved in investigating serious crimes.
The former Deputy President specifically accused DCI Director Mohamed Amin of providing cover for alleged extrajudicial killings and abductions. He also raised questions over several deaths, including those of Dr Victoria Mutiso and lawyer Matthew Kyalo Mbobu.Gachagua claimed that police officers had links to the two cases and questioned the actions taken by the DCI in addressing the allegations.
His remarks placed the country’s top criminal investigation agency at the centre of a fresh political dispute over the conduct of security agencies.
The DCI responded later in the evening, dismissing the allegations as baseless and unsubstantiated.
The agency said claims of this nature could undermine public confidence in law enforcement and create doubts about investigations being handled by detectives.
“The DCI has taken note of a litany of baseless and unsubstantiated allegations by the former Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, touching on the DCI,” the agency said.
The DCI maintained that it does not protect or participate in criminal activities. It said allegations involving abductions, disappearances, deaths, police shootings and attacks on journalists are investigated whenever they fall within its mandate.
“The DCI categorically states that it does not sanction, facilitate, conceal, or participate in criminal conduct of any kind,” the agency said.
According to the agency, its responsibility is to investigate serious and complex crimes, gather evidence and present files to prosecutorial and judicial authorities. It said investigations are guided by evidence and the law rather than political considerations.
The DCI also rejected the suggestion that political affiliation or an individual’s position determines how a case is handled. It said public figures and ordinary citizens are subject to the same legal process.
“The DCI therefore rejects any suggestion that its investigations are undertaken to serve partisan political interests,” the agency said.
The agency further criticised what it described as the use of deaths involving public figures and ordinary citizens to advance political arguments.
It said such claims could affect families that are already dealing with the loss of their loved ones.
The DCI also defended its decision not to release sensitive details about ongoing investigations. It said revealing operational information could interfere with investigations and make it harder for detectives to establish what happened.
The agency said that where investigations establish criminal responsibility, suspects would be processed according to the law and taken through the appropriate legal procedures.
As part of its response, the DCI gave an update on two murder investigations that were raised during Gachagua’s press conference.
In Cheptais, detectives arrested Oscar Koech Sakong, whom the agency identified as one of the suspects linked to the August 8 murder of businessman Nathan Masai Wasama. Wasama was killed at his shop in Tuikut Trading Centre.
The DCI said detectives were continuing to follow additional leads as they worked to establish the motive for the killing and identify other people who may have been involved.
The agency also addressed Gachagua’s remarks concerning the murder of PCEA Tabuga Church Reverend Julius Ndumia Ngari. Gachagua had claimed that suspects connected to the killing had been allowed to go free.
The DCI said two suspects had already been arrested and arraigned in connection with the May 3 murder in Nakuru North.
The agency urged Gachagua and members of the public with information about alleged criminal activities to report it through official investigative channels. It said credible information would be assessed and appropriate action taken in line with the law.
The latest exchange has added to the ongoing public debate over the conduct of security agencies and the handling of serious criminal cases in Kenya.
While Gachagua has continued to demand answers over cases involving alleged abductions, killings and disappearances, the DCI insists that investigations should be based on evidence and established legal procedures rather than political pressure.
