NCIC Summons Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has issued a formal summons to former Deputy President H.E. Rigathi Gachagua, EGH, requiring him to appear before the Commission on Thursday, 27th August 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at Britam Towers, 17th Floor, Upper Hill, Nairobi, over utterances allegedly made at various public forums on different dates.
The summons is issued under Sections 27, 29 and 63C as read with Section 63E of the National Cohesion and Integration Act. The Commission states that it has a mandate to promote national unity and harmonious relations among communities, particularly by guarding against negative ethnicity, racism, religious intolerance and hate speech.
The Commission says it is investigating various utterances allegedly made by Gachagua on different dates and at different public forums within the Republic of Kenya.
According to the summons, one of the incidents under investigation allegedly occurred on 12th June 2026 at Luanda, Vihiga County, during a public rally. The document quotes the alleged remarks as follows:
"...........Na macuzo sisi si ni macousin? si sisi ni familia moja? Huyu kasongo alikuwa anapiga kelele ati Riggy G amesema macuzo wakae pamoja, wewe kasongo wachana na familia yetu, enda utafute macousin yako huko Sudan pamoja uliwacha macuzo yako, aende Sudan asiende?......."
The summons also refers to an incident on 23rd February 2026 at Gusii Stadium in Kisii County, which it says targeted Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda. The document quotes the alleged remarks as follows:
"........Mimi nataka msaidie Matiang'i mtamsaidia? Mtasaidia kiongozi? Mmsaidie kufukuza wasaliti ya jamii ya wakisii. Hapa Nyaribari hapa ni Chache, hapa Nyaribari Chache hapa wasaliti wa jamii ambao wanasaliti Matiang'i kwa kasongo ni yule muhindi mlichagua hapa kama mjumbe, harambee!! Huyo muhindi aende asiende? Wangapi wanasema muhindi aende muhindi aende?..........."
The Commission further cites remarks allegedly made during a Meru tour between 25th July 2026 and 28th July 2026. In the summons, Gachagua is quoted as explaining his use of phrases involving a snake and its eggs, saying that the language was figurative and symbolic:
"........Jana nimesema ya kwamba tuta ua nyoka pamoja na mayai nimeona huyu Murkomen ati waulize sisi ati kwa nini tunasema hivyo, sisi tuseme hatuna hate speech sisi tunatumia figurative language na sisi ni wanafunzi wa literature, kumuua nyoka ni kufukuza William Ruto kwa kura, kuua mayai ni kufukuza wafuasi wake wote wake kura. That is what we mean, to NCIC kama mnataka explanation mniadikie barua nitajibu nyinyi but we speak in figurative language. Sisi tunasema kuua nyoka ni kufukuza William Ruto kwa kura, kuua nyoka pamoja na mayai ni kufukuza wale wote wanatembea na Ruto kupitia kura kwa sababu sisi we speak in proverbs, we speak in symbolism and figurative language for effective communication. Harambee!!Harambee!!mko salama watu wetu, wacha nione watu ya DCP ya DCP...."
In a separate incident during the same Meru tour, the summons quotes extensive remarks in which Gachagua criticized President William Ruto's leadership and what he described as the treatment of leaders from the Mount Kenya region. The document quotes him as saying:
".......And I want to tell you my people of Meru, huyu Rais tulimchagua tulimpenda alikuja na bibilia tukafikiria ni Mkristo mtu mzuri alitudanganya? hakutudanganya? Tukamchagua kufika pale ametumia hiyo kiti kumaliza watu ya Mount Kenya, ameanza na Rigathi Gachagua amemfukuza, akarudi akafukuza Mithika Linturi sasa amepanga njamaa ya kumfukuza Martha Koome, na amepanga pale kortini anahonga watu kufukuza Martha Koome, mimi nakuuliza Rais William Ruto, hii watu ya mlima walikupenda, walikupatia kura uliwadanganya na bibilia, umeamua kumaliza watoto wote kutoka mlima kiongozi yeyote ambaye ako na msimamo umetupangia njama ya kutufukuza katika serikali katika Kenya na anataka akifukuza hii watu amalize biashara zote za watu ya mlima Kenya, lakini mimi nakwambia Rais, ukifukuza Martha Koome usikanyage hapa Meru. Mimi nataka nikuambie ulifukuza Rigathi Gachagua watu ya mlima wakanyamaza, ukafikiria ni waoga, tunakwabia Rais wewe panga njama ufukuze Martha Koome na wewe ukae Nairobi usikanyange hapa Meru tena ukifukuza Martha Koome. Mtakubali? Kwani Wameru mmekuwa waoga? Unajua this is too much now, how do you purge the leadership of an entire community that voted you President? Umepanga njama ya kumaliza jamii ya mlima. Kumaliza viongozi wao wale wako na msimamo na kuweka vibaraka, kumaliza biashara ya watu ya mlima, mambo ya miraa ulituahidi utaangalia, aliangalia? Ameangalia? Si alikuwa anakuja hapa akiwa anakula miraa akiwa kwa gari juu? Ilikuwa ni uongo si uongo? You know how do you take an entire community as fools? Umewatumia vibaya kama jamii, umewatumia vibaya kama tissue paper, tumekuchagua you have turned against us as a community, umesanya jamii zote uziunganishe kutuelekea sisi kama jamii lakini tunakuambia William Ruto Mungu hatakubali umalize jamii ya mlima Kenya. Si iko namna hiyo? Sasa hii wabunge ya Meru, Martha Koome anafukuzwa wananyamaza, huyu mjumbe wenu mlimtuma kule akanifukuze? Mlimtuma akapitishe finance bill? Sasa Martha Koome anafukuzwa, Senator wa Meru amenyamaza, MPs wote kumi wamenyamaza, kwani tumekuwa nini Meru, what is happening to the people of Meru? Watu wa Meru wanajulikana kwa kuwa hawanunui uwoga, watu wa Meru ni watu shupavu, these are the descendants of the maumau struggle, tulikuwa na general Mwariama, then Robai Munge, what has happened to the leadership of Meru ya kwamba mnaketi na Rais William Ruto akipanga kutumaliza kama jamii, akiumiza viongozi wetu, anapigana na mama pigana na mimi Rigathi Gachagua mimi ni mwanaume, wachana na Martha Koome ni mwanamke, mbona unapigana na wanawake? Can you fight your fellow men, si ndio? Apigane na wanaume, awachane na huyu mama, na huyu mama anafukuzwa kwa sababu amekataa kukuwa mtu ya yes sir, si ndio? Mtakubali kusimama na Martha Koome? Mtasimama na yeye? Huyu mama akifukuzwa, nipige firimbi mtoke kwa barabara, mtatoka? hamtatoka? Mtatoka? hamtatoka? We are not going to sit again as William Ruto destroy the leadership of the mount Kenya region. Its too much, its too much it cannot be, pahali huyu Rais ametufikisha sasa it is too much, semeni its too much? Na hao viongozi wote wamesaliti jamii mmepanga mambo yao? Hao viongozi wote wa Meru ambao wamesaliti jamii yetu , wametuuza tumbo zao, mtawashughulikia? Mtawashughulikia? Saa ngapi asubuhi 2027? Saa ngapi? Asubuhi na mapema? Mtawashughulikia? Mtawashughulikia? This community called the mount Kenya region will deal with traitors for the next 50 years. Hakuna mtu atasaliti hii jamii miaka hamsini. We are going to send a very strong signal kwa wale wote wamesaliti jamii ya mlima Kenya. Wale wote wameuza jamii tumbo zao, tutawashughulikia. Pamoja na William Ruto tutafukuza nyinyi wote pamoja one way mwende nyumbani........"
The summons states that the above utterances form part of the matters being investigated by the Commission. The document identifies the investigations as being conducted in relation to provisions of the National Cohesion and Integration Act and sets out the public forums and dates associated with the statements.
The summons directs Gachagua to appear before the Commission at Britam Towers, Upper Hill, on Thursday, 27th August 2026 at 2:00 p.m. to assist with the ongoing investigations.
PENAL NOTICE:
The document warns that failure to appear in person at the specified place, date and time will lead to warrants of arrest being issued for his arrest and production before the Commission and/or the institution of criminal and/or contempt proceedings.
The summons is dated 18th August 2026 and is signed by Dr. Daniel Mutegi Giti, PhD, Commission Secretary/CEO. A copy was addressed to Bishop Dr. Kepha N. Omae, Chairperson of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
