NAIROBI, Kenya – A secretly recorded video circulating online has added a dramatic twist to the violent disruption of a church service attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in Nyeri County, appearing to show a plainclothes police officer shooting at and deflating vehicles linked to his convoy.
The incident unfolded on Sunday at Wairima ACK Church in Othaya, where Gachagua was attending a service as a guest.
Midway through the sermon, teargas canisters were lobbed into the packed sanctuary, triggering panic among worshippers, many of them women and children.
Videos shared widely on social media show scenes of chaos as congregants fled the church compound choking, coughing and praying, while others scrambled to shield children from the effects of the gas.
In fresh footage that has since emerged, armed men dressed in civilian clothes are seen firing at vehicles within the church compound, allegedly deflating tyres belonging to Gachagua’s convoy.
Gachagua claims state involvement
Reacting to the incident, Gachagua accused the state of orchestrating a violent and targeted disruption, alleging that police officers and government-backed groups were responsible.
In a statement, the former deputy president claimed that live bullets were fired during the incident and that his convoy was vandalised.
He went further to directly blame President William Ruto, alleging there was an attempt on his life during the church service.
“This was not an accident. It was a deliberate and well-planned attack,” Gachagua said, describing the use of teargas inside a place of worship as reckless and dangerous.
Government rejects claims, turns blame on Gachagua
However, the government has dismissed Gachagua’s claims, offering a different account of events.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku accused the former DP of sponsoring chaos at public gatherings in a bid to portray himself as a victim and rally public sympathy.
Ruku claimed that the disorder witnessed at the Nyeri church was not spontaneous, alleging that Gachagua moves with armed groups who deliberately provoke violence at events he attends.
“This is the same pattern we witnessed during the Mbeere North by-election campaigns, where his goons attacked an innocent youth and broke his leg,” Ruku said, referring to an earlier incident at a church service in Karangare.
The youth, identified as Fredrick, reportedly sustained a broken leg during the chaos.
The CS warned Kenyans against what he described as “well-orchestrated schemes” aimed at manufacturing victimhood, spreading hatred and misleading the public, adding that places of worship should never be turned into arenas for political confrontation.
Oscar Sudi apologises to church
Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi has since apologised to congregants and clergy of Witima ACK Church in Othaya, describing the events as unfortunate and distressing.
In a video message shared on his official Facebook page on Monday, January 26, 2026, Sudi accused Gachagua and his allies of deliberately turning the church service into a political spectacle.
“The church invited worshippers in good faith, not political drama,” Sudi said, insisting that sacred spaces should remain neutral and free from political theatrics.
