Former police spokesperson Charles Owino has said opposition leaders are entitled to adequate security, following a teargas incident involving former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Kalonzo in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
Speaking at a local TV station on February 16, 2026, Owino emphasised that police officers must use reasonable force, when necessary, particularly when handling large crowds and protecting high-profile individuals.
“The police are not supposed to use force; they are supposed to use reasonable force when necessary,” he said.
Further, he noted that political events in crowded urban areas often require significant deployment of officers to maintain order and ensure safety.
Owino noted that senior politicians, including Gachagua, require adequate protection given their status and the nature of the public gatherings they attract.
“Rigathi Gachagua is not an ordinary man; even as a deputy president, he retains his honours and deserves protection. It is to the interest of the head of state, from where I sit, that opposition members are given reasonable security, to ensure that they are secured and taken care of,” Owino said.
This comes shortly after Gachagua slammed President William Ruto, accusing him of steadily taking the steps of a few African dictators in power after an encounter with teargas at the Nairobi Central Business District.
In a statement on his official X account on Monday, February 16, 2026, Gachagua accused Ruto of spearheading the tear gas attack by the United Opposition leaders.
“Teargas, Bullets, and all weapons that exist cannot extinguish the will of the people of Kenya. A government scared of its people has no legitimacy; Mr William Ruto, you have chosen a path travelled by a few African dictators, and you know what befell them when their time came,” Gachagua stated.
Additionally, Gachagua accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of using live ammunition on peaceful citizens in Nairobi’s CBD demanding their rights.
“Using live ammunition on peaceful citizens in Nairobi’s CBD demanding for their rights is cowardly and a dangerous path to anarchy. We shall not be cowed!” he added.
