Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Mukomen has launched a scathing attack on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks linking the death of former Emurua Dikirr MP Johanna Ng’eno to alleged foul play.
Mukomeni dismissed Gachagua’s claims as politically motivated, accusing him of exploiting the deaths of prominent Kenyans to revive what he termed a failed political career.
“Rigathi Gachagua, you are a hopeless, helpless and despicable human being,” Mukomeni said, accusing the former Deputy President of using the death of Ng’eno to gain political attention ahead of his visit to Emurua Dikirr.
Ng’eno died more than five months ago in a plane crash. Mukomeni said the preliminary findings had attributed the crash to bad weather, adding that residents of Chepkiep in Nandi County had corroborated accounts that the pilot had made an emergency landing to establish when weather conditions would clear.
The Interior CS questioned Gachagua’s decision to raise fresh allegations months after the incident, saying the former Deputy President had neither contacted Ng’eno’s family nor visited them to condole with them.
Mukomeni also rejected allegations that fuel adulteration may have contributed to the crash, insisting that the Interior Ministry has no oversight over fuel supply or air transport.
He challenged Gachagua to provide investigators with the identities of individuals he claims were involved in transporting the jet fuel and a driver allegedly arrested by Kenya Revenue Authority officials.
“If you have intelligence about an ‘unusual car’ and a driver who was allegedly arrested, why don’t you make their names public or hand over the information to investigators?” Mukomeni posed.
The CS accused Gachagua of advancing what he described as a “cooked-up” conspiracy theory for political purposes and questioned why the former Deputy President had not recorded a formal statement with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations if he possessed credible evidence.
Mukomeni further accused Gachagua of insensitivity towards Ng’eno’s family, recalling that the former Deputy President had previously announced Ng’eno’s death at a political rally before the family had been officially informed.
He also criticised what he termed attempts to politicise the deaths of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, former Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla and Ng’eno.
Mukomeni maintained that he would remain focused on his mandate of protecting Kenyans and their property, accusing Gachagua of seeking to create instability and political disruption.
“I will continue protecting the lives and property of Kenyans with unwavering resolve and dedication,” Mukomeni said.
