Inside secret police squad trailing Gachagua

This team of highly trained men, the source said, planned to recover guns that are in the hands of individuals who are close to the ex-DP during the abortive Sunday raids on his rural home at Wamunyoro in Mathira and Karen in Nairobi.

The source said some of the weapons that were displayed by Mr Gachagua’s security detail last Thursday during a confrontation with goons who wanted to disrupt the launch of his party in Nairobi were not supposed to be in the hands of civilians.

According to sources, the elite police team was on a mission to recover the weapons but failed to access the rural and Nairobi homes of Mr Gachagua after they learnt that the ex-DP and his men were not there on Sunday night.

On Monday, Mr Gachagua corroborated the account by Nation, saying he had been tipped off about a planned attack by a secret police squad comprised of officers from DCI, NIS, GSU and AP.

Read: Rigathi Gachagua alleges plot to poison him with chemical weapons

The former DP said some of the officers who were opposed to the operation leaked to him the alleged plot to plant guns.

"While attending a church service in Gatanga yesterday, I received intelligence reports that...a killer squad of 101, from NPS seconded from NIS, and accompanied by DCI and regular police, were deployed," Mr Gachagua said.

“We received credible information from some of the officers who were opposed to this operation and we had to change route," Mr Gachagua said.

He added: "They were mobilised and cordoned off all exits. The squad was armed to the teeth and hooded. This is despite the existing guidelines that officers should be in uniform."

He alleged a plan by the Government to withdraw the gun licenses of some of his private security guards as part of a wider scheme to compromise his security.

Contacted about reports of the elite police team deployed to the homes of the former Deputy President, the National Police Service through spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga responded: "We have no information on any such police operation."

On Sunday night, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka announced on his social media that Mr Gachagua’s homes were under siege.

Mr Musyoka, on his X account, said there were plans by the government to arrest Mr Gachagua.

"We are ready" 

The former vice president said the government should follow the law if it wanted to arrest him.

“We are ready to produce DP Gachagua before the DCI –Kenya. Please stop abducting Kenyans and their leaders. Abductions are primitive,” said Mr Musyoka.

This tweet triggered a flurry of comments by social media commentators and bloggers who went ahead to post images of police cars said to have been laying an ambush for Gachagua who had earlier in the day attended a church service in Gatanga.

Last year, the Nation reported that the covert team was crafted following a high-level security meeting in Nairobi called to brainstorm on ways of dealing with anti-finance protests. And with only hours before the start of the week-long protest, this special team that was led by a former DCI operative now in the NIS hit the ground running.

Also in this team are selected individuals from the DCI Operation Action team based at the DCI headquarters who are working together with the NIS officials.

In the same squad are IT experts from the NIS who have been monitoring the social media accounts of people believed to be influential or have mass following and are critical of government.

Once the IT team at Ruaraka identified a target they would forward the details to the squad that would abduct the victim.

The squad members have been operating discretely from DCI headquarters

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