Aasai

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has made damning allegations about the existence of a secret government-sponsored killer squad that he claims was formed while he was still serving in office. The revelation has sparked widespread outrage and raised serious questions about state-sponsored violence, extrajudicial killings, and the misuse of national security agencies.

Speaking during a hard-hitting press conference on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, Gachagua alleged that a highly secretive unit made up of 101 specially selected officers was established within the Administration Police Service (APS). He said these officers underwent advanced tactical training allegedly orchestrated by the National Intelligence Service (NIS), not for regular security work, but for sinister missions that include abductions, executions, and cover-ups.

“This squad of 101 individuals was formed while I was still in government,” he disclosed. “They were selected from the APS and given special training by the NIS—not to fight crime, but to carry out kidnappings, extrajudicial killings, and clean-up operations designed to erase evidence.”

Gachagua went further to accuse NIS Director General Noordin Haji of directly overseeing the unit, which he claimed does not report to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), despite deliberately being made to resemble a DCI taskforce. According to him, the NIS has provided unmarked Subaru vehicles for the unit to give the illusion that the officers are from the DCI, thereby masking their true identity and protecting them from accountability.

“The National Intelligence Service procured unmarked Subaru vehicles to deceive the public into thinking this rogue squad is affiliated with DCI,” he said. “In reality, it is a standalone hit squad under the NIS, created to carry out unlawful killings and suppress dissent.”

These remarks were made just two days after a chilling video circulated widely online, showing armed, hooded men in plain clothes shooting at unarmed demonstrators during protests. The footage has shocked the nation and triggered calls for an independent investigation. Gachagua confirmed that those seen in the video are members of the alleged killer unit, describing them as a lawless outfit executing orders without legal or ethical restraint.

“This gang is operating in defiance of court orders and without any oversight,” he emphasized. “They use high-powered firearms, wear masks to conceal their identities, and drive in unmarked cars to evade tracking. They are not protecting Kenyans—they are terrorizing them.”

Gachagua’s accusations paint a disturbing picture of a state willing to use brute force against its own citizens, under the guise of maintaining law and order. He warned that the continued use of such tactics would erode public trust in the security sector and risk plunging the country into political instability.

In an emotional plea, the former deputy president called on President William Ruto to end the violence and stop targeting young people who are demanding economic justice and political reforms.

“Mr. President, stop killing our children,” Gachagua said. “These are not criminals, they are young Kenyans demanding a better future. I urge the youth to register as voters in large numbers and be ready to vote this regime out come 2027.”

His comments have added fuel to the growing political storm surrounding recent protests, where scores of demonstrators have been injured, abducted, or killed under unclear circumstances. Rights groups and civil society organizations are now demanding that Parliament launch an urgent inquiry into the alleged existence and operations of this shadowy unit.

Gachagua’s explosive revelation, coming from a former top insider of the government, is expected to intensify scrutiny on the role of national intelligence agencies and their potential abuse of power. As calls for transparency and accountability mount, many Kenyans are left wondering just how deep the roots of this alleged covert operation go—and who else knew about it.