NAIROBI – In a startling accusation that signals a deepening political rift, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has alleged that a state-sponsored plot to physically harm him forced his absence from the national funeral service for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in October. The claim was made during a televised interview on Sunday, 17 November 2025, EAT, amidst a heated by-election campaign in Mbeere North.

Speaking to Inooro TV, Mr. Gachagua, who now leads the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), asserted that he had fully intended to attend the service at Nyayo National Stadium but was dissuaded by credible intelligence from sources he claims are within the National Police Service. “The government had planned that I be beaten by police officers in civilian clothes so that it appears as though I had been attacked by members of the Luo community,” Gachagua stated during the interview.

He further alleged the intention behind the purported plot was to “drive a wedge between Luos and Kikuyus,” a claim that carries significant weight given Kenya’s history of politically instigated ethnic tensions. Gachagua also claimed a similar plan had been devised for Odinga's final burial in Bondo, Siaya County.

A Nation in Mourning

The state funeral for Raila Odinga, who passed away in October 2025 at the age of 80, was a momentous event for the nation. The service, held on Friday, 17 October 2025, saw thousands of Kenyans and numerous heads of state gather at Nyayo National Stadium to pay their respects. President William Ruto, who led the tributes, eulogized Odinga as a leader whose “impact transcend their moments.” Mr. Gachagua’s absence from such a significant national event was noted at the time, but his explanation now reframes it as a deliberate act of self-preservation in the face of a grave threat.

Context of Escalating Tensions

These explosive allegations do not exist in a vacuum. They come as Mr. Gachagua, now a prominent opposition figure, is campaigning vigorously for a candidate in the Mbeere North parliamentary by-election scheduled for 27 November 2025. His political activities have placed him in direct opposition to President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.

The former Deputy President’s security concerns have been documented prior to this latest claim. On 12 November 2025, Gachagua formally wrote to the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, citing threats of violence against him and his supporters ahead of his campaign tour in Mbeere North. In response, the UDA party, through its Secretary General Hassan Omar Hassan, dismissed Gachagua's letter on 13 November 2025, describing the allegations as a “panic-driven public statement” that lacked a factual basis and existed only in Gachagua’s “pregnant imagination.”

Mr. Gachagua also accused President Ruto and other senior government officials of shedding “crocodile tears” during Odinga's funeral, calling their statements insincere. He noted that he had been in communication with Odinga's daughter, Winnie, and planned to visit the family personally after the Mbeere North campaign concludes.

The gravity of accusing the state of plotting violence against a high-profile opposition leader marks a severe escalation in political rhetoric. These claims raise critical questions about political intolerance and the security of dissenting voices in the country. As of this report, the government and the National Police Service have not issued a formal response to the specific allegations made on Inooro TV. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REQUIRED.