Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has criticised the government following the demolition of a section of the Gikomba market on Monday night.
In a statement on Tuesday, March 31, Gachagua termed the demolition as inhuman and a betrayal of promises made to Kenyans.
“It is totally unfair for a government to treat its people, as we witnessed last night at Gikomba Market in Nairobi. I condemn this inhuman and beastly treatment in the strongest terms possible.
“Thousands of traders and other small-scale traders have had their properties and items worth millions of Shillings destroyed in a night of a cowardly government raid for what covertly is a political scheme,” said Gachagua.
He noted that the demolitions went against commitments made during the 2022 General Election campaigns, where leaders pledged not to carry out forced evictions or destroy property, particularly at night.
“It shall be remembered that when we campaigned for this regime in the run-up to the 2022 General Elections, we promised, and made a firm undertaking that never shall we destroy property and do forceful displacement and eviction of people, and never do so at night,” Gachagua remarked.
The former Deputy President went on to allege that his opposition to similar operations was among the reasons behind his fallout with President William Ruto, claiming he had previously resisted what he termed as unlawful directives to conduct evictions.
“It shall further be remembered that one of the charges of the illegal impeachment of me was my refusal and defying illegal and inhuman orders from Mr. William Ruto to carry out forceful evictions and night raids on the people of Kenya,” he stated.
Further, Gachagua expressed solidarity with the affected traders in Gikomba, assuring them of his support and that of other Kenyans in the aftermath of the demolitions.
“To the Gikomba Market traders, I shall, and we the people of Kenya stand with you, may it be what it shall,” Gachagua added.
On Tuesday morning, thousands of traders woke up to losses after a section of the market was demolished in a late-night operation.
The structures, located in the shoe section, were demolished, leaving traders to wake up to flattened stalls and scattered merchandise.
