Ichung’wah rejects Gachagua’s 700 deaths claim, says no bodies found in Tana and Yala rivers

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah firmly rejected former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's claim that over 700 extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances have occurred under the current administration. On August 12, 2026, during a televised interview, Ichung'wah challenged Gachagua to provide evidence to support his allegations, dismissing them as "unsubstantiated political fiction."

This came a day after Gachagua delivered a national address, on August 11, 2026, which he framed as a "performance audit" of President William Ruto's four years in office. During that speech, Gachagua alleged that human rights organizations documented more than 700 state-sanctioned deaths and disappearances since late 2022. However, Ichung'wah countered this by emphasizing that he had not seen any bodies retrieved from the Tana and Yala rivers during his time in office, unlike under the previous government.

He also addressed the allegations of widespread abductions during the 2024 youth-led protests, suggesting that many of these incidents were fabricated for political gain. Ichung'wah pointed out that during the 2024 protests, numerous abduction allegations turned out to be false, including some made by Members of Parliament last year in 2025.

He noted that there were instances where individuals were arrested and claimed abduction, alleging that the mere sight of a Subaru would be enough for someone to label it an abduction.