Impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has claimed that a significant majority of Kenya’s security and intelligence personnel are aligned with him, making the assertions during a live television interview on Wednesday, 22 July. Rigathi Gachagua claimed he enjoys 75% support from NIS. Speaking on KTN News, Gachagua said he commands broad loyalty across multiple arms of the state, including the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the National Police Service (NPS), and the wider civil service. “75% of the National Intelligence Service is with me. 90% of the National Police Service is with me. The entire civil service is with me,” Gachagua said during the interview. The former deputy president went further, portraying himself as someone with unimpeded access to information from within the government. “I am a smooth operator.
I am able to get information from government people without exposing them,” he added. The claims represent some of the most direct and provocative statements Gachagua has made since his removal from office, suggesting he retains substantial influence within institutions that fall under the executive arm of government. Gachagua’s Political Trajectory Since Impeachment Gachagua was impeached by Parliament in October 2024, becoming the first deputy president in Kenya’s history to be removed from office through that process. He has since positioned himself as a political force independent of President William Ruto’s administration, frequently making public appearances and comments that challenge the government’s standing. His Wednesday interview on KTN News is the latest in a series of high-profile media engagements in which he has sought to demonstrate that his removal from office has not diminished his relevance or reach within Kenyan political and institutional circles.
