“I Warned You”: Gachagua Blames Ruto and Sakaja After Bloody Protests Over Police Shooting

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has reignited political tensions in Kenya after publicly blaming President William Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja for the violent crackdown on protesters during Tuesday’s demonstrations sparked by the murder of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody. 

Speaking late on Tuesday night, Gachagua said the events that unfolded in the heart of Nairobi, including the shooting of an unarmed hawker at point-blank range, were a grim fulfillment of warnings he had issued earlier. 

“I had clearly warned of a plan by the President and the Governor of Nairobi County and other state machinery to unleash police brutality and thugs in police escort to kill our young people today. This has come to pass,” he declared. 

As hundreds took to the streets demanding justice for Ojwang, chaos erupted when a group of club-wielding men, allegedly aligned with state actors, stormed the protests under the full watch of police. Eyewitness videos show some of these men roaming the Nairobi CBD on motorcycles and attacking peaceful demonstrators, while others were captured breaking into shops and looting along Moi Avenue. 

One particular incident has gripped the nation’s attention: the shooting of a mask vendor, known as Eli, near Imenti House. Eli, who was unarmed and visibly non-threatening, was gunned down at close range. He is now fighting for his life at Kenyatta National Hospital. 

“What is the logic behind shooting an innocent and harmless hawker selling masks at close range? What police training is this?” Gachagua questioned. 

A widely circulated video, filmed outside City Hall, has added fuel to the fire. In it, a group of armed men can be heard chanting, “Sakaja tumelinda jiji” (“Sakaja, we have defended the city”), raising suspicions about who sponsored or mobilized the group, and why they were not stopped by police. 

“Which of those criminals who meted out violence on Kenyans today have been arrested?” Gachagua asked, as pressure mounts on the government to come clean. 

The government has not yet issued a comprehensive statement addressing the goon involvement, but the optics of such open violence amid peaceful demonstrations have drawn comparisons to dark chapters in Kenya’s political history. 

In a small sign of accountability, the police officer filmed shooting the unarmed vendor has been arrested on orders of Inspector General Douglas Kanja. However, activists say it is too little, too late. 

Meanwhile, protests also spread to Mombasa where four activists were arrested. In Nairobi, the aftermath includes damaged property, lost livelihoods, and yet another scar on Kenya’s fragile democracy. 

“How much more blood, Mr. President, do you need to leave the Gen Zs alone? What apology of the Gen Zs and Albert Ojwang’s father were you asking for?” Gachagua thundered. 

The tragic events of Tuesday speak to deeper concerns over the militarisation of dissent in Kenya. As Gen Z-led movements grow bolder and more organized, the state’s response seems to tilt increasingly toward suppression rather than dialogue. 

Gachagua’s sharp criticism of Ruto and Sakaja, both once allies, is not just political theater. It is a signal of widening cracks in the country’s leadership and a demand for clarity, justice, and real change.