Kalonzo Accuses Government of Backing Squad to Silence Dissent
Human Rights Watch Africa also linked a special unit, the Operations Support Unit (OSU), to a spike in forced disappearances across Kenya.
Rigathi Gachagua pictured with Kalonzo Musyoka and Eugene Wamalwa on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. | Photo: Rigathi Gachagua.
By Robert Assad
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has accused the Kenyan government of supporting a covert “capture squad” targeting opposition voices.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Kalonzo dismissed claims by the National Police Service (NPS) that Juja MP George Koimburi staged his own disappearance.
“There is a capture squad operating in this country,” Kalonzo said. “We are guided by what Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said — that a special team exists to eliminate opposition in Kenya.”
Kalonzo questioned the credibility of senior police officers, arguing that public trust in the police had collapsed. “Let Kanja issue whatever statement he wants, but who will believe a police officer like him today? The trust is broken. Kenyans are awake and determined — nothing will stop them from sending this regime home,” he declared.
On Monday, Gachagua visited Koimburi at Karen Hospital, alleging the MP had been tortured and exposed to an unknown chemical that impaired his ability to speak or move.
Koimburi had gone missing on Sunday and was found in a Kiambu coffee plantation on Monday morning, reportedly with soft tissue injuries consistent with torture.
Gachagua claimed the unit responsible for Koimburi’s condition was formed during the 2024 anti-finance bill protests and included former officers from the DCI, Administration Police, and NIS. He previously stated that the same group had plotted to poison him.
Human Rights Watch Africa also linked a special unit, the Operations Support Unit (OSU), to a spike in forced disappearances across Kenya.
In its 35th World Report, the organization alleged that OSU operated out of DCI offices and resembled the disbanded Special Squad Unit (SSU) active under former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Kalonzo confirmed he is working with a team of lawyers to sue the government at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged human rights violations, including enforced disappearances.
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