While addressing a Democracy for Citizens Party event in Nyeri on Wednesday, Gachagua alleged that President Ruto held a secret meeting with Al-Shabaab operatives in Mandera, a town near the Kenya–Somalia border. He claimed the meeting raises major concerns over national security and the country’s counterterrorism strategy.

“It is shocking and unacceptable that the Head of State would engage in secret talks with terrorists who have claimed countless Kenyan lives. This betrayal endangers every Kenyan and undermines the sacrifices made by our security forces,” Gachagua stated.

The former deputy president, now at the helm of the Democracy for Citizens Party after a major fallout with the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA), also took issue with the president’s recent move to suspend vetting for foreign nationals applying for Kenyan identification documents.

He cautioned that the eased policy could pave the way for increased terrorist infiltration. “Suspending ID vetting is a dangerous move that could allow foreign extremists to acquire Kenyan documents and travel to other countries, including the United States. This poses a grave threat not only to Kenya’s national security but to global peace,” he said.

Before his departure to the US, Gachagua did reveal that he was aware of a plot by President Ruto’s administration to arrest him at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), blocking him from travelling abroad.

Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, July 9, Gachagua dared Ruto’s allies to live up to their threats and order for his arrest.