A fresh political and legal dispute has emerged in Nakuru after Town East MP David Gikaria took action against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks allegedly connecting him to deaths and violence during the Ol Kalou by-election.
Gikaria reported Gachagua to police on Saturday, recording a statement at Nakuru Central Police Station.
He accused the Democratic Congress Party (DCP) leader of making statements that portrayed him as responsible for deaths witnessed during the disputed polls.
According to Gikaria, the remarks had affected his reputation and could also have consequences for his businesses. He described the matter as a criminal cybercrime complaint and asked the authorities to investigate the statements attributed to Gachagua.
The MP said he had also instructed his lawyers to issue a demand notice to the former Deputy President.
Through the notice, Gachagua has been given 72 hours to retract the alleged remarks and apologise.
Gikaria said the demand was meant to give Gachagua an opportunity to address the matter before further legal action is taken. He warned that failure to comply would lead to the filing of a defamation case, with his lawyers expected to take the next step after the 72-hour period.
The dispute is linked to events surrounding the Ol Kalou by-election held about a month ago.
The polls were accompanied by political tension and allegations of violence, with Gachagua accusing Gikaria of playing a role in what happened during the election period.Gachagua also made allegations of bribery against the MP. Gikaria has rejected the accusations and now wants the claims made against him investigated, saying they have gone beyond normal political disagreements.
The MP has asked the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to take over the complaint. He argued that the allegations made against him were serious and required the relevant authorities to establish whether any criminal offence had been committed.
The latest disagreement comes as Gachagua and Nakuru leaders remain involved in another political confrontation following an incident involving his convoy in the county on Friday.
Gachagua accused Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika and Naivasha MP Samuel Arama of being behind the attack on his convoy.
The two leaders have not been shown to have accepted responsibility for the incident.
Despite the incident, Gachagua said he would continue visiting Nakuru and would not allow the attack to stop him from touring the county.
Gikaria, however, called on the former Deputy President to respect the Constitution and the rule of law. He said local leaders had no problem with Gachagua visiting Nakuru but objected to visits where leaders were allegedly insulted or accused of wrongdoing.
The MP maintained that political leaders should be able to disagree without making statements that could harm another person’s reputation.
He said the legal process would now determine how the dispute over the alleged remarks proceeds.Gikaria’s demand gives Gachagua 72 hours to respond. If he does not retract the remarks and issue an apology, the MP’s lawyers are expected to proceed with the planned defamation case.
The complaint further adds to the political tensions surrounding Gachagua’s activities in Nakuru, where disagreements between the former Deputy President and some local leaders have continued to attract attention.
