The Pastoralists Community Professional Association (PCPA) has sharply condemned former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over remarks he made in the United States, accusing President William Ruto of compromising Kenya’s security.

In a strongly worded statement, PCPA Secretary Yunis Ibrahim Sheikh dismissed Gachagua’s allegations as “reckless and defamatory,” insisting they were false and dangerously divisive.

“His unfounded attempt to link the easing of vetting protocols affecting ethnic Somali Kenyans to terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab is both false and dangerously divisive,” the statement read.

Speaking during a public engagement in the US on Friday, Gachagua alleged that the executive met representatives of Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab in Mandera and allegedly struck a business deal with the outlawed organization.

He further claimed that the meeting involved three senior Al-Shabaab leaders and that the discussions could pave the way for suspected terrorists to be registered as Kenyan citizens, potentially enabling them to infiltrate other countries to commit attacks.

The association accused Gachagua of reviving the painful history of ethnic profiling endured by Somali Kenyans and other pastoralist communities in border counties.

It recalled that for years, these citizens were denied IDs, passports, and public services under discriminatory vetting policies without valid security grounds.

PCPA defended President William Ruto’s decision to end the vetting system, describing it as a lawful and long-overdue step towards fairness and equality.

The group further accused the former DP of having a track record of exclusionary politics, citing his past remarks questioning the suitability of pastoralist leaders for senior positions and his promotion of the controversial “government shareholders” idea.

“He is now weaponizing ethnicity to attack the President and marginalized communities. This is not leadership it is destructive scapegoating that threatens our fragile national unity,” Yunis stated, urging leaders to adopt inclusive policies instead of sowing division.

The association called on the National Assembly and relevant agencies to act swiftly to safeguard human rights, national cohesion, and global peace.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen also weighed in, stating that Gachagua will be required to record a statement upon his return to Kenya to explain his terrorism claims.

“As soon as he lands, he must tell us exactly which meetings he is having with terrorists,” Murkomen said, accusing him of embarrassing the country abroad.