Attackers using tear gas and gunfire stormed Witima Church in Othaya, Nyeri, during a service attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. The incident has triggered strong complaints from the opposition and calls for police reforms to prevent political misuse. The government has condemned the violence and promised an investigation.
Last weekend, chaos erupted at Witima Church in Othaya, Nyeri, while former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua attended a service. Photos shared online show women and children covered in tear gas smoke as they fled. Gachagua and other leaders escaped through small paths to avoid the mayhem, with his convoy destroyed. Some supporters initially thought it was an abduction.
Gachagua addressed the media, blaming the government and naming security officers and Mt. Kenya region MPs as sponsors of the violence. He accused President William Ruto, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, and Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat of targeting him. However, doubts have arisen over whether his camp staged the incidents for sympathy, especially after Juja MP George Koimburi admitted to faking his own abduction last year, despite Gachagua's earlier claims of government involvement.
Cleophas Malala, deputy leader of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), described the event as evidence of police misuse and called for devolving the police service to counties along with an audit of officer transfers from 2025 to 2027. He argued these reforms would curb brutality and prevent the political weaponization of security forces. "It is time to think of dividing the police down to the counties so that children from that area can be employed," Malala stated.
The government condemned the violence, with Murkomen pledging that "violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable. The police must pursue the perpetrators without fear." Inspector General Douglas Kanja has ordered a probe. Malala dismissed claims that the opposition staged the attack, questioning how civilians could access police vehicles and tear gas. He cited over 16 unreported cases of violence against the opposition. The incident highlights escalating tensions between Gachagua and pro-government leaders in the Mt. Kenya region, raising concerns about security ahead of the 2027 elections.
