Murkomen accuses Gachagua of ethnic incitement, renews arrest threat

In a statement posted on his X account, Murkomen said Gachagua had once again labelled leaders from his backyard who do not subscribe to his brand of politics as "wasaliti," a Swahili term for traitors, arguing that the label amounts to a dog whistle historically used to profile and direct attacks against specific communities and individuals.

"Terming others as traitors of the community is a dog whistle that has been historically used to profile, ostracize and direct attacks against a section of society or individuals," Murkomen said, citing the Rwandan genocide and war crimes in Kosovo as historical examples of where such rhetoric has led.

CS Murkomen also linked Gachagua's remarks to the death of Rachel Wandeto, describing the killing as a direct consequence of what he called Gachagua's incitement against pro-government residents in the region.

He said security agencies remain under instruction to monitor the former deputy president's public remarks and to take legal action against him should his utterances continue to endanger lives and national security.

Murkomen further dismissed Gachagua as a tribalist harboring delusions of political influence that exist only in his imagination and reaffirmed that Kenya remains a united, progressive, and indivisible nation.

The remarks come against the backdrop of an escalating war of words between the two leaders. Gachagua had earlier dismissed Murkomen's threat of arrest, saying Kenyan jails were built for "men and women" and not animals.

Describing himself as a descendant of the Mau Mau, Kenya's freedom fighters, the former Deputy President said he grew up in a mud house alongside cows, adding that a cell with a concrete floor, electricity and food would feel like a five star hotel by comparison.

Gachagua has also accused Murkomen of being behind a spate of goon-led attacks that have disrupted opposition rallies across the country, claiming the CS's own disclosure of intelligence reports on mobilised goons had only deepened public suspicion of the government's role in the violence.

He has further questioned Murkomen's role in police operations, arguing that such matters fall under the Inspector General and not the Cabinet Secretary, and accused him of running a parallel command structure within the police service.