Isiolo community leaders led by JIMA Community Secretary General and member of the Borana Council of Elders’ Governing Council Ahmed Waqo during a meeting at Municipal Ground in Isiolo on Wednesday/HANDOUTIsiolo residents have called for former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to be questioned over remarks they say linked President William Ruto and Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo to livestock theft in northern Kenya.
The residents want the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the DCI to summon Gachagua and require him to provide evidence for the claims.
Led by JIMA Community secretary general and member of the Borana Council of Elders’ Governing Council Ahmed Waqo, the residents said the allegations risked inflaming tensions in a region that has experienced livestock theft and inter-community conflict for decades.
“If Gachagua is unable to substantiate these allegations, appropriate legal action should be taken against him,” Waqo said.
Gachagua is reported to have made the remarks recently while meeting some residents from Isiolo and Marsabit counties at his Wamunyoro home in Nyeri county.
According to the residents, the former Deputy President alleged that Ruto and Guyo were involved in cattle rustling and were working with the military to transport stolen livestock to the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) in Athi River for slaughter.
The claims have drawn criticism from residents representing different communities in Isiolo, who said the allegations could damage the reputations of the two leaders.
Waqo, former Ngaremara ward MCA Ekuam Teru, Gabra Council of Elders Organising secretary Omar Godana, and Kikuyu community representative Valentine Nyaguthii called for the matter to be investigated.
Waqo said Gachagua should be required to provide evidence to support the allegations.
He said investigating the claims would help discourage politicians from making allegations against leaders without evidence, particularly when political differences are involved.
The residents said livestock theft had contributed to deaths, displacement and loss of property in northern Kenya and should not be used to fuel political tensions.
Nyaguthii said Gachagua should apologise publicly to Ruto and Guyo if he was unable to substantiate the claims.
“It is important for the DCP leader to apologise publicly to the leaders whose names he has tainted with these accusations,” she said.
Teru said livestock theft among pastoralist communities had existed for generations and required a serious response rather than statements that could heighten tensions.
He said Gachagua’s position as a former Deputy President and community elder placed a responsibility on him to promote cohesion.
“He should behave and act like an elder who commands respect rather than making inflammatory statements at every opportunity,” Teru said.
The residents also criticised remarks allegedly made by some Isiolo and Marsabit residents during the Wamunyoro meeting, in which they threatened to heckle President Ruto if he visited Isiolo.
They said those who attended the meeting did not represent the views of the wider Isiolo population.
The residents urged Ruto to visit Isiolo, saying the county needed greater attention to development and employment opportunities.
They specifically called on the President to officially open the completed Isiolo Export Abattoir, which they said would create jobs for young people and provide a market for livestock farmers.
The residents also called for investigations into the alleged threats against the President, saying political differences should not be used to undermine the dignity of the office.
“The President must be respected by all, including those who oppose the government of the day,” they said.
The residents said Isiolo remained supportive of the Kenya Kwanza administration and declared their backing for Governor Guyo’s bid for a second term in the 2027 General Election.
They said political competition should not be allowed to deepen ethnic divisions or revive tensions linked to livestock theft, a problem that has historically affected communities across northern Kenya.
The residents called on state agencies to investigate the allegations and establish the facts, saying the matter was too serious to be left to political rhetoric.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
The story highlights how politically sensitive allegations around livestock theft can quickly intersect with ethnic relations, regional grievances and the 2027 succession politics. By seeking investigations rather than simply trading accusations, the residents frame the controversy as an accountability issue while distancing the wider Isiolo population from remarks made at the Wamunyoro meeting. Their defence of President Ruto and Governor Abdi Guyo also gives the story a political dimension, particularly with Guyo seeking re-election. However, the story’s strongest news value lies in the demand for Gachagua to substantiate the claims. Given the seriousness of the allegations, clear attribution and careful wording remain essential to avoid presenting unproven claims as facts.
