Gachagua Accuses Douglas Kanja of Failing the Constitution
The National Police Service (NPS) is facing its biggest constitutional crisis yet, with DCP Leader Rigathi Gachagua launching a searing attack on the leadership of Inspector General Douglas Kanja. Following the violent dispersal and teargassing of a campaign rally in Narok earlier this week, Gachagua did not mince words, accusing the IG of failing to uphold the required political neutrality and effectively transforming the police service into an instrument of political warfare against the Opposition. The chaos that unfolded in Narok, which saw rally attendees teargassed and key political movements blocked, Gachagua claims, was anything but accidental.
The most damning piece of evidence cited by the DCP Leader involves the highly unusual deployment of specific security personnel. In a direct challenge to the IG’s authority, Gachagua pointed to the presence of officers attached to Murang’a Woman Representative Betty Maina at the scene. The accusation is specific and explosive: these officers were reportedly “seen publicly issuing instructions while coordinating the incident.” This highly political detail strongly suggests that the aggression witnessed by the public was not an impartial security measure, but a pre-planned operation orchestrated by forces aligned with the rival political faction.
For Gachagua, this failure goes beyond mere incompetence—it represents a fundamental breach of constitutional duty. The IG is required to safeguard the NPS’s independence, but the Narok incident has fueled the narrative that the Service is now under a state of State Capture, acting on directives from political competitors. The message delivered to the Inspector General is stark and unyielding: “If you are not in full control of the Police Service, kindly do the honourable thing and resign.” This ultimatum frames the choice not as a question of policy, but of constitutional integrity, forcing IG Kanja to either admit to being a political puppet or step down for failing to protect the very independence of the institution he leads.
