Mandera Senator Ali Ibrahim Roba accused former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of spreading “blatant falsehoods” regarding President William Ruto’s recent visit to Mandera County.

Senator Roba, who is also the party leader of United Democratic Movement (UDM) dismissed Gachagua’s claims as “calculated, malevolent lies” aimed at misleading the public and stirring division.

Gachagua had alleged that during his visit to Mandera, President Ruto held undisclosed meetings with unidentified individuals, and that the government had scrapped security vetting for Northern Kenya.

Roba refuted both claims, insisting he personally accompanied the President “from the moment he landed to the moment he departed” and that all meetings were with “officially recognized Mandera leaders and the public in open forums.”

“No private, backdoor, or suspicious meetings took place,” Roba said.

“The suggestion that the President met unknown individuals is a shameful fabrication designed to sow division and confusion,” he said.

On the issue of vetting, the Senator clarified that President Ruto’s remarks in Mandera were about ending what he called “discriminatory and excessive bureaucratic vetting” that has historically targeted communities in the Northern Frontier District (NFD).

Roba stressed that the Head of State advocated for a fair, uniform, and constitutional vetting process for all Kenyans, regardless of ethnicity or region.

He accused Gachagua of twisting the President’s words into “a false narrative of national insecurity” and urged law enforcement agencies to take action.

“The burden of proof for all his lies rests with Gachagua,” Roba said.

“He must substantiate his claims with evidence or face the law.”

Roba also cautioned the international community, particularly the United States, against being misled by what he termed “fabricated lies” made in pursuit of political attention and favours.

In February, President Ruto visited Mandera in what was widely seen as an effort to strengthen ties with the historically marginalized region, promising to address long-standing issues of exclusion and profiling.