Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has alleged that security forces used tear gas and live bullets during a church service he attended at Wairima ACK Church in Othaya, Nyeri County.
In a series of posts shared on social media, Gachagua claimed that a government-backed squad stormed the area while worshippers were inside the church, leaving congregants trapped amid chaos. He said the attack affected not only his team but also ordinary churchgoers.
“We are marooned in church, being attacked with live bullets and tear gas, and my vehicles were torched. We ask Kenyans to pray for us to come out alive,” Gachagua wrote.
The incident adds to a growing list of confrontations involving the former deputy president and security agencies at public gatherings. Over the past year, Gachagua has repeatedly accused police of disrupting events he attends, including funerals, church services, and political rallies.
One of the earliest incidents was reported on November 28, 2024, during a funeral service in Limuru, Kiambu County.
Gachagua alleged that tear gas was fired at mourners, forcing attendees to flee and disrupting the solemn ceremony. While official confirmation of the incident remained limited, it sparked debate over security conduct at sensitive gatherings.
In July 2025, a church service at AIPCA Christ the King Church in Kahuro, Kigumo, Murang’a County, ended in turmoil after police blocked access roads and deployed tear gas to disperse congregants.
Worshippers, including elderly people and children, were caught in the fumes as Gachagua’s allies and local leaders fled the scene.
A similar scenario unfolded on August 2, 2025, during a rally in Gilgil, Nakuru County, where police used tear gas, triggering panic and stone-throwing that forced the event to be abandoned.
Further disruptions were reported in Narok Town on November 24, 2025, after police blocked access to a planned rally and used tear gas to prevent Gachagua from addressing residents, prompting him and his supporters to take an alternative route.
Church services continued to be affected later in the year. In November 2025, a Thanksgiving service at PCEA Kariobangi North Church in Gatundu South, Kiambu County, descended into panic after tear gas was deployed near the church compound. Religious leaders and civil society groups strongly condemned the incident.
Another disruption was reported on January 12, 2026, at AIPCA Church in Kiamworia, Gatundu South, where police again fired tear gas, interrupting worship.
Gachagua has consistently criticised the use of force at religious, funeral and political gatherings, arguing that such spaces should never be treated as battlegrounds.
He has accused the state of using security agencies to intimidate dissenting voices, warning that these actions undermine constitutional freedoms, including the right to worship, assemble and mourn peacefully.
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