Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has publicly criticized former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, alleging that he attempted to blackmail her husband, businessman Sam Mburu. In a statement shared on her official X account on February 9, 2026, Kihika accused Gachagua of proposing an extortion scheme disguised as a “protection fee.”
“Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first drive mad! Mr. Gachagua, your actions suggest a troubling obsession with my husband. Is it because he refused your attempt at blackmail for a ‘protection fee,’ a tactic you commonly use with other businessmen in Mulima?” Kihika asserted.
Gachagua had previously claimed that Mburu was leveraging police officers to interfere with his political activities in the county. In response, Kihika detailed how Gachagua had approached her husband in the past, soliciting a partnership in sugar importation, which Mburu ultimately declined.
“Didn’t you involve him in business with your son? (I have the evidence.) Didn’t you propose a partnership for sugar importation, only to be turned down? Now you want to act as if you are above reproach? I will refrain from saying more, but know that you cannot intimidate us. There is much more to this story,” she emphasized.
Despite the failed business proposal, Kihika accused Gachagua of disparaging her husband during a recent visit to Kinamba, Naivasha.
“What fears drive you to chase shadows? During your visit to Kinamba, you devoted 90% of your speech to insulting my spouse, without presenting a single agenda for the country should you ever be elected—though we all know your impeachment issue hinders that possibility. Why do you seem so afraid?” Kihika articulated.
“To clarify, you are welcome in Nakuru like anyone else; however, your penchant for incitement and poor manners must be left at the county border. We pride ourselves on being a cosmopolitan county and do not tolerate narrow-minded tribal bigotry! Enough is enough!” she concluded.
Gachagua’s comments came shortly after Kihika’s remarks, in which he accused Sam Mburu of using law enforcement to obstruct his political engagements, claiming that police had been co-opted for partisan purposes.
In a statement issued on the same Monday, Gachagua asserted that officers under the command of Naivasha OCPD Wilson Sigei and Nakuru County Commander Opuru Emmanuel prevented his entourage from entering Nakuru from Nyandarua County to hold a public meeting at Kinamba Trading Centre.
Recalling the Nakuru incident, Gachagua stated he had informed the Nakuru Police Command about his upcoming gathering, only to find four police Land Cruisers blocking his path.
“I specifically warned you that the police command in Nakuru County operates under the influence of the County Governor’s spouse,” Gachagua remarked.
He further alleged, “That meddlesome individual directed the Nakuru County Commander to establish a roadblock at Karati River to halt my entourage. The police, in four Land Cruisers with masked officers, harassed members of the public for over an hour before retreating, following demands from hundreds of concerned residents for access.”
Gachagua criticized Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja for failing to maintain authority over the officers in Nakuru, claiming that the police command had been effectively handed over to Governor Kihika’s husband, a businessman involved in the importation of duty-free sugar and rice, for personal and political gain.
“Just as December 25th signifies Christmas, it is evident that the Inspector-General lacks control over the police in Nakuru County. The command has regrettably been surrendered to a business associate of Governor Kihika, to the detriment of the Kenyan public and farmers,” Gachagua asserted.
