Gachagua Joins Plan To Take Ruto To ICC

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has teamed up with six members of the self-styled opposition team, which vowed to take the controversies surrounding civilian killings under President William Ruto’s administration to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation.

The team is also comprised of Kalonzo Musyoka, Eugene Wamalwa, Justin Muturi, and Martha Karua as well as former Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mithika Linturi and Torome Saitoti. The inclusion of Gachagua's signature into a stinging statement by the team is anticipated to spark fresh battles between him and the current administration.

The leaders strongly denounced the killing of five civilians in Ang'ata Barikoi, Narok County. They argued that the April 28 incident wasn’t an isolated case, pointing to a growing trend of land-related violence. 

Calling it a blatant human rights violation, the leaders said taking the matter to the ICC is the only way to break the cycle.

Opposition leaders converge at a meeting on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. /KALONZO MUSYOKA

"Land fraud and displacement have now become a rampant national crisis. Organised syndicates, operating with the protection of heavy-handed police forces and a compromised justice system, are fraudulently preparing ownership documents to forcefully and illegally expropriate land from rightful owners," read the statement in part.

"What happened in Kiligoris is a replica of the Mavoko, Nairobi and Ndabibi Land disputes and forceful mass displacements. With Dr Ruto's checkered past with forceful land displacements, we want to remind him that such acts are crimes against humanity, and we are committed to escalating these cases to the International Criminal Court (ICC)."

The government has also been accused of using police and security forces to carry out illegal evictions nationwide, with similar cases cited in Mavoko, Nairobi, and Ndabibi, according to a joint statement.

Monday’s chaos in Narok erupted after locals blocked a major road, claiming ancestral ownership of the land and trying to stop land officials from carrying out a survey. Tensions escalated when protesters vandalised a vehicle belonging to the land officials, triggering a heavy police response.

As expected, the leaders also brought up the viral BBC documentary #BloodParliament, which revealed extrajudicial killings and abductions of peaceful demonstrators in June 2024. The team demanded accountability, accusing the government of trying to cover up the killings tied to the anti-Finance Bill protests.

"The International Media broadcaster BBC's scathing documentary #BloodParliament has further exposed what Kenyans have long suspected: That the execution of peaceful protestors in June 2024 was premeditated, sanctioned at the highest levels, and executed by sections of security agencies under the command of the Ruto administration," added the statement.

"There is a handpicked killer squad from various security agencies that operates outside the command and control structure of the legitimate security institutions. This killer squad is complicit in the abductions and killings of peaceful demonstrators. We strongly warn the Ruto regime against further bloodshed and any political assassinations."

They also hit out at the active status of deployment of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), which has not been vacated, and they remain deployed today generally and indefinitely. "It is important to note that the BBC Documentary also unearthed that indeed some KDF officers were deployed with shoot to kill orders before the gazettement and authorization of their deployment," added the statement.

This notably comes hours after Gachagua vowed to unleash the identities of those responsible for the deadly clashes between police officers and civilians in Ang'ata Barikoi.

"Who gave shoot-to-kill orders and archaic brutality on women, children, and innocent civilians? Who deployed GSU and RDU officers to exercise unlawful, lethal, and bullish police force on innocent Kenyans in Ang'ata?" he posed.

"This forceful displacement of population is a crime against humanity, and whoever is culpable must face crimes against humanity. I am gathering evidence and information on this matter, and we will name and shame those responsible for this heinous act."

The former Deputy President claimed the disputed 6,000-acre land rightfully belongs to Kenyans who have lived on it for decades. Gachagua said he is currently collecting evidence and plans to publicly expose those behind the land grab soon.

Photo of spent cartridges and teargas canisters collected following the Ang'ata Barikoi clashes. /FILE