NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 26 — Former Chief Justice David Maraga has called on President William Ruto to issue a public apology to Kenyans — and specifically to worshippers at Witima ACK Church in Nyeri County — following violent scenes that erupted during a church service in Othaya on Sunday.
In a statement, Maraga condemned the police response to the incident, during which officers fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse crowds gathered at the church.
“Fellow Kenyans, we cannot be bystanders as Ruto drives Kenya into a failed state,” Maraga said.
“A government that teargasses its people — men and women, the elderly, and children — in a church has lost all common decency. It has become a den of criminals.”
Maraga demanded that President Ruto publicly apologise and ensure accountability for the officers involved.
“We demand that President Ruto must tender a public apology to Kenyans, and in particular the worshippers at Witima Church in Nyeri, and get the policemen who perpetrated today’s heinous act arraigned in court within the next 24 hours,” he said.
Kindiki floats ‘self-sponsored’ theory in Gachagua church violence
The chaos unfolded during a church service attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Police moved in to disperse crowds outside the church compound, leading to running battles that left several vehicles damaged, including all cars in Gachagua’s convoy.
Images and videos circulating widely on social media showed shattered windscreens and extensively vandalised vehicles, fuelling public outrage and renewed debate over police conduct and political intolerance.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said investigations into the incident were under way and promised swift action against those responsible.
“I have spoken with the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, who has assured me that investigations are under way with the urgency this matter deserves and that the perpetrators will be brought to justice,” Murkomen said in a statement on Sunday.
Murkomen stressed that the government would not tolerate excessive use of force or violence linked to political activity.
“I have noted with great concern the incident at Witima ACK Church in Othaya, Nyeri County. Violence anywhere — and least of all in a place of worship — is unacceptable,” he said.
His remarks came hours after Gachagua alleged that the violence amounted to an assassination attempt orchestrated by a state-sponsored killer squad.
The former deputy president claimed police officers deliberately targeted his convoy despite knowing he was attending a church function.
“Please note that the killer squad backed by the local police are all over the two venues, and we don’t know their intention after failing to assassinate me inside a church,” Gachagua told supporters in Othaya Town and Kiawara, where he announced the cancellation of planned rallies.
He added that the security operation had left his vehicles “disabled” and sound systems dismantled.
The incident has intensified political tensions in the Mt Kenya region, with opposition figures and civil society leaders calling for accountability and respect for places of worship, while security agencies face mounting pressure to explain their actions.
