NAIROBI, Kenya — Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has warned that rising incidents of political violence in Kenya risk undermining democracy, following Sunday’s chaotic attack on a church service attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in Othaya, Nyeri County.
Speaking after the incident at Witima ACK Church, Kindiki raised concerns that such violence could be deliberately orchestrated — including for political sympathy — and called for swift, impartial investigations to identify and prosecute all those responsible.
Although he did not mention Gachagua by name, the Deputy President framed the disruption as a serious threat to public safety, democratic competition and constitutional freedoms.
“Violence, whether organised by political opponents, by self for sympathy, or by whoever for whatever purpose, is a criminal act that undermines our democracy and violates the freedom of assembly and of worship guaranteed by law,” Kindiki said.
Violence, whether organized by political opponents, by self for sympathy, or by whoever for whatever purpose, is a criminal act that undermines our democracy and violates the freedom of assembly and of worship guaranteed by law.An impartial, non-politicized investigation of
The former Deputy President had earlier claimed that rogue police officers and political actors were behind the disruption, alleging that the chaos forced him and his team to flee the church for their safety.
His claims have, however, been disputed by some leaders, including Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, who suggested the incident may have been staged.
Kindiki stressed that accountability must extend beyond those who carried out the attack to include planners and enablers, warning that failure to act decisively could normalise violence as a political tool.
“An impartial, non-politicised investigation of the planners, executors and enablers of this aggression on a place of worship, followed by successful prosecution, is the only way to prevent this behaviour from replacing democratic contest,” he said.
He added that the episode reflects deeper challenges within Kenya’s political culture and urged leaders to abandon intimidation, ethnic mobilisation and disruption in favour of issue-based competition.
“Let us compete on which team has better ideas, policies and programmes to transform Kenya, industrialise it, create more jobs and eradicate extreme poverty,” Kindiki said, noting that politics anchored in violence and ethnic bigotry belong to the past.
The National Police Service confirmed that Inspector General Douglas Kanja has ordered investigations into the Othaya incident, directing the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) to act with urgency.
“The nature of this incident is totally unacceptable and has no place in this country,” the police said in a statement.
Let us compete on which team has better ideas, policies and programmes to transform Kenya, industrialize it, create more jobs and eradicate extreme poverty in the shortest possible time.Politics organized around crude ethnic bigotry, violence, chest thumping and disruption
