NAKURU, Kenya — Democratic Change Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has criticised Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over his declaration that public officers who use political slogans or refer to President William Ruto as “Kasongo” should be dismissed.
Gachagua said Murkomen would have to dismiss a large proportion of the National Police Service if the government implemented the threat, claiming that many officers privately support the “Wantam” movement and oppose Ruto’s administration.
The former deputy president spoke on Saturday, August 15, while opening DCP party offices in Nakuru.
“I heard Murkomen saying that all officers who subscribe to ‘Wantam’ and all those calling Ruto ‘Kasongo’ will be fired. Murkomen, you will have to fire 95 per cent of the police service,” Gachagua said.
He claimed that police officers were increasingly unhappy and demoralised under the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Gachagua attributed what he described as declining morale to several issues, including alleged ethnicisation of the police command, working alongside political groups and what he claimed were inadequate pay and equipment.
Gachagua alleges ethnicisation of police service
Gachagua accused the government of allowing ethnicity to influence the leadership and command structure of the National Police Service.
“All police officers are ‘Wantam’. They all want Kasongo to go, and they have a reason. One of them is that you have ethnicised the command of the National Police Service because one community is commanding them,” he alleged.
He further claimed that some senior commanders were abusing their authority and issuing orders that officers considered inconsistent with their professional obligations.
Gachagua also alleged that police officers had been forced to work alongside political groups he referred to as “goons”.
“Two, the police officers are unhappy because they are being forced to work with goons, which is against their oath of office,” he said.
He also accused the government of forcing officers to use excessive force against members of the public.
“Lastly, they are unhappy that, against their training, they are being forced to harm and kill Kenyans,” Gachagua said.
The claims have not been independently established.
Pay and medical cover concerns
Gachagua also claimed that police officers were dissatisfied with their remuneration, alleging that some had received only a KSh570 salary increase despite expectations of better pay.
He further criticised the decision to move police officers to a new medical insurance provider, claiming that the previous arrangement had been working effectively.
The former deputy president said some officers had also contacted him to complain about shortages of equipment needed to perform their duties.
The allegations come amid broader political tensions surrounding the role of the police in handling political activities as parties position themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Murkomen warns public officers against political slogans
Gachagua’s remarks followed comments by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who said public servants must separate their personal political views from their duties as government employees.
Murkomen specifically warned officers against using the term “Kasongo”, a nickname used by some Ruto critics, or singing “Wantam”, a political slogan associated with calls for a one-term presidency.
“If we find a police officer insulting the President by calling him Kasongo or singing ‘Wantam’, and singing political slogans, yet they want to serve the government of the day, that police officer or civil servant should be fired immediately,” Murkomen said.
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The Interior CS said the position was not unique to the current administration and argued that public servants should remain politically neutral while performing their official duties.
“I am not saying this because of the current government, but also the previous and the one to come. If you choose to serve in public service, you cannot participate in campaigns or slogans; yours is to understand the government and implement its policies,” he said.
Political dispute widens
The exchange between Murkomen and Gachagua adds another dimension to the growing political confrontation between the government and opposition forces ahead of the 2027 election.
Gachagua has increasingly positioned the DCP as an opposition vehicle and has been intensifying his criticism of Ruto’s administration during political tours across the country.
Murkomen’s warning, meanwhile, places renewed focus on the political neutrality of public servants and the limits of political expression by members of the security services.
Gachagua’s claim that as many as 95 per cent of police officers support the “Wantam” movement remains an allegation and was not supported by evidence presented in his remarks.
