NAIROBI, Kenya — The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has strongly condemned the use of teargas by police officers inside and around churches, warning that the practice amounts to a grave violation of the Constitution and an attack on freedom of worship.
In a press statement issued on Monday, the NCCK said the teargassing of worshippers during a service at the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Wairima Parish in Nyeri County on January 25, 2026, violated Article 32 of the Constitution of Kenya (2010), which guarantees every person the right to freedom of conscience, religion, belief, and worship.
“The National Police Service violated the constitutional right to worship as provided for under Article 32(2) of the Constitution,” the NCCK said, quoting the provision that protects the right to manifest religion “either individually or in community with others, in public or in private.”
The council noted that although the Public Order Act and National Police Service Act provide guidance on policing public gatherings, those provisions were ignored during the Nyeri incident, resulting in the disruption of an ongoing worship service.
The NCCK expressed deep concern over what it described as the “desecration of places of worship” by police officers, warning that such actions undermine constitutional order, religious freedom, and public trust in law enforcement.
Pattern of Church Disruptions
The council cited at least nine separate incidents since October 2024 in which police officers allegedly used teargas or force against worshippers during church services across the country.
Among the incidents listed were the teargassing of the Africa Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) in Kemoli, Murang’a County, on October 4, 2020; the disruption of a prayer service at Chosen Generation Church in Nakuru on July 16, 2024; and the use of teargas at All Saints Cathedral and Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi on July 25, 2024.
More recent incidents include teargas use at PEFA Church in Nyandarua on January 1, 2025; AIC Church in Subukia on July 20, 2025; PCEA Kariobangi North in Nairobi on November 30, 2025; AIPCA Church in Kiambaa on January 11, 2026; and teargas deployment near ACK Wairima Parish in Nyeri on January 25, 2026.
“The deliberate, unwarranted and unprovoked lobbing of teargas canisters at worshippers in a place of worship is not only illegal and unconstitutional but an attack on the body of Jesus Christ,” the NCCK said.
Accountability and Legal Concerns
The council raised alarm that, despite repeated incidents, no police officers have been arrested, investigated, or prosecuted, suggesting what it termed “state approval at the highest level” for violations of the law.
Under Article 238 of the Constitution, national security organs are required to operate in compliance with the law and respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. Legal experts have previously warned that the use of force in religious spaces must meet strict tests of necessity, proportionality, and legality.
Calls for Action
The NCCK called for an unqualified public apology from the Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and the Inspector General of Police to the Church and the religious community.
It also demanded speedy investigations and prosecution of all police officers involved in attacks on churches during worship services.
The statement was signed in Nairobi on January 26, 2026, by NCCK Chairman Rev. Dr. Elias Otieno Agola and General Secretary Rev. Canon Chris Kinyanjui.
