Murkomen Dares Gachagua to Name Ol Kalou Assault Victims as Police Deny Claims

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has publicly challenged former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to take the women he claims were sexually assaulted during the Ol Kalou by-election to the nearest police station, dismissing the allegations as political theatrics in the wake of a crushing electoral defeat for the ruling party.

The confrontation follows the July 16, 2026 parliamentary by-election in Ol Kalou constituency, Nyandarua County. The DCP candidate won in a landslide with 35,440 votes against UDA's Samuel Muchina, who polled just 5,450 — a result Gachagua characterised as marking "UDA's death in Mt. Kenya."

Gachagua's Allegations

Speaking after the results were announced, Gachagua alleged that 68 women had been raped by police officers, that at least one person had been killed, and that around 20 others sustained gunshot wounds and head injuries, according to Capital FM and The Standard. He directed blame squarely at Murkomen, alleging the Interior CS had personally sanctioned the alleged attacks.

"If Murkomen has called for an investigation, he must call for an investigation into his own person," Gachagua was quoted as saying by Capital FM. He further alleged that victims were unable to report the assaults to police because, in his words, "they were raped by the police men." The Standard noted that these allegations had not been confirmed by police or hospital authorities at the time of publication.

Gachagua also alleged that MP Kimani Ichung'wa helped finance the violence, and that the government had channelled Sh14 billion in development projects alongside Sh1.1 billion in cash inducements into the constituency before polling day, according to The Standard. None of those claims had been independently verified as of publication.

Murkomen's Rebuttal

Speaking on Saturday at Tenwek High School in Bomet, Murkomen flatly rejected the assault allegations and challenged Gachagua to substantiate them. "If you are truly a father who has children and a woman, you cannot play politics with 68 women," the CS said, as reported by Tuko.co.ke, urging Gachagua to have the alleged victims record formal statements so that courts could prosecute any suspects.

Murkomen also questioned Gachagua's motives, telling the gathering: "If he is playing cheap politics, then I must tell Gachagua that even in your purposed victory, you are a terrible loser." He added that "winning one seat does not make us reckless in the statements we make," according to Tuko.co.ke.

The National Police Service offered a similar dismissal. Central Regional Police Commander Geoffrey Mayek stated that no incidents of sexual assault or death had been reported before, during, or after the poll, according to The Standard. Murkomen had separately ordered a probe into reports of general chaos during the election, pledging that any security officer found to have used excessive force would face consequences.

The Ol Kalou by-election has become a significant political flashpoint. The scale of DCP's victory is widely seen as a major blow to President William Ruto's UDA in a region it once regarded as a stronghold. As competing accounts of what occurred on polling day continue to circulate, both the specific allegations of mass sexual assault and the broader claims of state-sponsored violence remain actively contested and unverified.

Sources: Capital FM, The Standard, Tuko.co.ke.