What began as a tranquil Sunday worship service at Witima ACK Church in Othaya spiralled into chaos and confusion, leaving scores of worshippers shaken, vehicles damaged, and Kenya’s political temperature dramatically spiked.
The service expected to include prayers and fellowship, was abruptly disrupted when tear gas canisters were fired inside the church compound, forcing congregants and visitors to flee for safety in panic.
Former Deputy President and Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, who was in attendance, described the scene as a moment of fear and mayhem.
Moments after the disruption, Gachagua took to social media to share a harrowing account of the events that unfurled.
In a series of posts, he condemned what he called an attack on worshippers.
“We are marooned in church, being attacked with live bullets and tear gas, and my vehicles have been torched,” Gachagua wrote, describing the unexpected violence that engulfed the sacred space.
“We ask Kenyans to pray for us to come out alive.”
In a later post, Gachagua confirmed that he had safely reached his residence in Wamunyoro, thanking local residents who helped his team escape the chaos.
“I am now safe, having just arrived at my Wamunyoro residence,” he said, urging supporters to leave peacefully: “I request that thousands of my supporters… peacefully go home.”
Leaders across the political divine expressed shock and outrage at the scale of the disruption, particularly the use of tear gas and alleged live ammunition in a house of worship.
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka strongly denounced the incident, calling it “a grave and unacceptable violation of the Constitution and the rule of law.”
He wrote, “A church is a sacred and protected space. The use of force against unarmed citizens in such circumstances is unlawful and indefensible.”
Jubilee Deputy Party leader Jeremiah Kioni also weighed in, framing the event as an affront to religious freedoms and civil liberties.
“A church is a sanctuary, not a battlefield,” Kioni said.
“No Kenyan… should ever be threatened, harassed, or attacked while exercising their fundamental freedoms.”
Beyond dissenting parties, even voices connected with security oversight urged accountability.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen condemned the violence and ordered a police investigation, saying, “Violence anywhere, and least of all in a place of worship, is unacceptable.”
Gachagua’s account was not limited to describing chaos; he also pointed fingers directly at unnamed security personnel and alleged lethal intent.
At a press briefing, he asserted that attackers included officers armed with rifles and tear gas, and that their goals were far from keeping order.
“They were aiming for our blood,” he said, adding that his vehicles were set on fire.
These serious allegations, if true, point to a potential escalation in the use of force at political events, a worrying trend in a nation already navigating heightened tensions ahead of the 2027 general election.
Several worshippers present at the church expressed shock at how quickly tranquility turned to terror.
One attendee, who asked not to be named, described the moment the tear gas hit the sanctuary.
“We were praying when suddenly smoke filled the air,” they recalled, voice still shaking.
“Children were coughing, people were running, it felt like we were in danger, not in church.”
Others lamented the lack of clear communication from authorities.
“We didn’t know what was happening, just plain clothes officers throwing teargass everywhere and a police vehicle” said a young woman who was at the service with her family.
“Some people were hurt, and no one told us why this was happening in a church. Those throwing teargass some werenin plainclothes and others with hoods.”
Witima ACK Church, like any other house of worship, had been a place for spiritual solace.
Instead, it now stands as the unexpected epicentre of one of Kenya’s most startling political flashpoints in recent memory.
With investigations now underway and political leaders demanding answers, one question looms large: How did a routine Sunday service become a scene of violence and national controversy?
For now, congregants are trying to process the shock, politicians are trading blame, and authorities are scrambling to piece together what truly happened inside those sacred walls.
Others are questioning who sent the officers to attack and disrupt a church service.
In a country where faith remains central to daily life, the events in Othaya serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of peace when politics and religion collide.
