Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua has faulted Interior Permanent Secretary Karanja Kibicho for allegedly using chiefs to influence the outcome of the 2022 presidential election.
Speaking in Mau Narok on Thursday, November 25, during a UDA rally, Gachagua accused Kibicho of colluding with chiefs, police officers, and some influential leaders in the region to sway Mau Narok voters into voting for ODM leader Raila Odinga.
He said it was wrong for the PS who has expressed his interest in unseating Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru in 2022 of channeling funds to chiefs through former Molo MP Njenga Mungai stating that such will likely lead to post-election violence.
“It is very wrong for (Interior PS Karanja) Kibicho to sponsor incitement in this area by using government funds,” Rigathi claimed as reported by People Daily Newspaper.
Rigathi’s claims came days after Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi and Kibicho held a consultative meeting with chiefs and assistant chiefs from Makueni County.
During the meeting, the Ministry of Interior warned politicians from meddling with the work of the chiefs as the 2022 General Election nears.
The CS further cautioned chiefs and other administrative officers against engaging in partisan politics saying they were duty-bound to support the government of the day by popularising its policies.
Gachagua is not the only politician allied to the Deputy President who has in the recent past accused the PS of engaging in politics.
Last week, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to fire Kibicho over his active involvement in the 2022 elections preparations.
“My brother Kibicho from Kirinyaga (county) has abandoned his official duty and he is playing politics. When we complain, he tells us to ‘swallow razor blades or commit suicide’,
“I ask the President to sack Kibicho and replace him with another competent person. In Kirinyaga, we have highly qualified people who can take over Kibicho’s job,” she said.