Former deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has urged Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and NARC-Kenya leader Martha Karua to show solidarity with two detained Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) youth leaders facing politically charged legal battles.
Speaking on Saturday in Nyeri during the burial of his aunt, Gladys Gathoni, Gachagua voiced concern over the arrest and re-arrest of Wanjiku Thiga and Peter Kawanjiru, young leaders aligned with his DCP political wing. The two were initially granted bond after court appearances earlier this week but were swiftly re-arrested, prompting public outcry and accusations of targeted intimidation.
Gachagua appealed to Kalonzo and Karua to physically attend the hearing at Kahawa Law Courts on Monday, where the two youth leaders are scheduled to appear. “So we are saying, Senior Counsel Martha Karua and Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, if it will be possible, when those two children are taken to Kahawa court on Monday, please be there because if they see you there, it will help us,” Gachagua pleaded.
Wanjiku Thiga had earlier been released by the Kiambu Law Courts on a bond of KSh 50,000 with a surety of KSh 200,000. Peter Kawanjiru, also known as Peter Kinyanjui, the DCP Kiambu Youth Leader, had been freed on a free bond by a Ruiru court.
However, their temporary freedom was short-lived. On Friday, dramatic scenes unfolded at the Ruiru Law Courts when heavily armed officers stormed the compound and re-arrested Kinyanjui shortly after his release. A widely circulated video showed officers demanding the courtroom entrance be opened before rushing inside and seizing him in front of shocked family members and supporters.
The youth leaders are believed to be under investigation over alleged involvement in the June 25 Gen Z protests, which turned chaotic in parts of the country. Gachagua insists the arrests are politically motivated and are aimed at silencing youth voices aligned with his political ideology.
The unfolding saga has sparked debate over the state’s handling of politically active youth and the need for due process and fairness in politically sensitive prosecutions.
