Africa-Press – Kenya. A collage of Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has responded to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of repeatedly targeting her husband in his public addresses and political statements.
Kihika told off the former DP, saying he should stop personal attacks instead of focusing on national issues. In a statement on Monday, Kihika dismissed Gachagua’s latest allegations as personal and politically motivated.
The governor questioned why the former deputy president appeared preoccupied with her husband, suggesting the attacks could stem from past business disagreements.
“Whom the gods want to destroy, they first make mad! Mr Gachagua, you are losing it! My spouse clearly lives rent-free in your head. Is it because he refused to be blackmailed & extorted by you for a ‘protection fee’? You can’t intimidate us, and there is a lot more where that came from,” Kihika said on X.
Kihika further accused Gachagua of attempting to intimidate her family through sustained public criticism. The governor also criticised Gachagua’s recent political stop in Kinamba, Naivasha, claiming much of his speech focused on attacking her and her spouse rather than presenting a national agenda.
“You came to Kinamba, Naivasha, yesterday, and 90 per cent of your speech was insulting my spouse and me. You didn’t even give a single agenda on what you would do for the country should you ever be elected,” she said. At the same time, Kihika maintained that Gachagua remains welcome in Nakuru County, but cautioned against what she termed inflammatory rhetoric.
“For the avoidance of doubt, let me repeat what I said about your visit to Nakuru. You, like any other person, are welcome to come to Nakuru anytime. However, your hobby of incitement and bad manners should be checked at the county’s entrance. We are a cosmopolitan county and don’t entertain such. Umezidi,” she said.
Her response follows Gachagua’s claims that the National Police Service had failed to remain apolitical and that law enforcement in Nakuru County was allegedly influenced by the governor’s spouse.
In a statement addressed to the head of the police service earlier on Monday, Gachagua said that during a meeting held on January 30, 2026, alongside other national leaders, assurances had been given that the police would respect constitutional guarantees on freedom of movement and assembly, and would not interfere with public meetings.
He claimed those assurances had not been honoured. “I specifically alerted you that the Police Command in Nakuru County was in the hands of the spouse to the County Governor,” Gachagua said in a statement on X.
The former Deputy President alleged that police authority in the county had been “surrendered” to the governor’s husband. Gachagua alleged that during his visit to Kinamba Trading Centre in Naivasha, a roadblock was erected at Karati River to prevent his entourage from entering Nakuru County from Nyandarua County.
He claimed the roadblock, mounted by officers in four Land Cruisers, led to the harassment of members of the public for over an hour before being withdrawn after residents demanded access be restored.
He also referenced previous incidents on March 29, 2025, in Mai Mahiu and Naivasha town, alleging that police disrupted his meetings and that junior officers had complained of being misused for political purposes at a time when crime was rising in the sub-county.
In her rebuttal, Kihika dismissed the claims as unfounded and politically charged, reiterating that Nakuru is a diverse county that does not tolerate divisive politics.
