Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has strongly condemned the killing of five people and the injury of several others during a violent confrontation over a disputed 6,000-acre piece of land in Ang’ata Barikoi, Narok County.
Taking to his official X account on Monday night, April 28, 2025, Gachagua expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and described the violent displacement of residents as a crime against humanity.
He vowed to gather evidence, name, and shame those responsible and insisted that the culprits must be held fully accountable.
“My heart goes out to the families of the five innocent people who have been shot dead and several who have been injured in Ang’ata Barikoi over the 6,000-acre piece of land, which rightfully belongs to the citizens who have occupied the land for several decades,” Gachagua said.
“This forceful displacement of population is a crime against humanity, and whoever is culpable must face crimes against humanity. I am gathering evidence and information on this matter, and we will name and shame those responsible for this heinous act.”
Gachagua further slammed what he described as the insatiable appetite of certain leaders for grabbing land and amassing wealth at the expense of ordinary citizens who have lived on the land for decades.
“What kind of insatiable appetite is this by a section of leaders for the primitive accumulation of grabbed land and wealth, can our nation sink?” Gachagua posed.
Gachagua on police involvement
The former DP questioned the use of excessive police force against civilians, demanding to know who gave the shoot-to-kill orders and who deployed specialised police units like the GSU (General Service Unit) and RDU (Rapid Deployment Unit) to the area.
He described the use of lethal force on women, children, and innocent civilians as archaic brutality that had no place in a modern democratic society.
“Who deployed GSU and RDU officers to exercise unlawful, lethal, and brutal police force on innocent Kenyans in Ang’ata?” he added.
Murkomen on Ang’ata Barikoi clashes
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen condemned the deadly clashes in Angara Barrikoi, Narok County, noting that preliminary reports indicated that five people had been killed. However, the CS maintained that he could not authoritatively confirm the numbers, revealing that calm had not been restored in Angara Barrikoi.
“This is a very sad occurrence for us in the national security team because we must make sure that lives are protected. Land issues can easily be resolved peacefully; it should not lead to any loss of life,” Murkomen stated.
“From the information we have, five civilians have lost their lives, and five police officers are injured, one of whom is critically injured because he has an arrow lodged in his head, and it has taken a long time to evacuate that police officer to a hospital because of the situation around there.
The incident happened after residents, claiming historical ownership of the land, blocked the main road to prevent land officials from surveying the area.