Children Collapse, Women Overwhelmed in Gachagua Attack
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua found himself in a tense situation when he was tear-gassed while attending a service at Wairima ACK Church in Othaya, Nyeri County.
He took to social media to share his experience, claiming that a government squad had been sent to disrupt the gathering inside the church. Gachagua emphasized that everyone present, including local worshippers, was caught in the chaos.
“We are marooned in church, being attacked with live bullets and tear gas and torched my vehicles. We ask Kenyans to pray for us to come out alive,” Gachagua wrote.
In a post on X, Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa alleged that Gachagua is still being held hostage at Witima ACK Church in Othoya.
“Some of us have managed to evacuate, including women and children. About seven plain-clothed police officers are conducting the operation,” he wrote.
Gachagua has often found himself at the center of controversy, especially after security forces used teargas at public events he attended, such as church services, funerals, and political rallies. One of the first notable incidents took place in Limuru, Kiambu County, during a funeral service on November 28, 2024.
Gachagua claimed that he and the mourners were hit with tear gas, which threw the solemn event into disarray and sent attendees scrambling for safety.
While there hasn’t been much official confirmation about the use of tear gas during this incident, it certainly raised alarms about how security forces are handling politically charged gatherings.
Back in July 2025, a church service at AIPCA Christ the King Church in Kahuro, Kigumo, Murang’a County, turned chaotic when police blocked roads and unleashed tear gas to disperse the congregation.
Gachagua’s supporters, including local political figures, had to flee as the noxious fumes enveloped worshippers, many of whom were elderly or children.
Then, on August 2, 2025, a rally in Gilgil, Nakuru County, was thrown into turmoil when police fired tear gas at the crowd.
In the chaos that followed, stones were hurled, and the rally had to be called off as panic set in. A similar scene unfolded at a rally in Narok Town on November 24, 2025, where police blocked access and used tear gas to stop Gachagua from speaking to the residents, forcing him and his supporters to find another way.
Even church services weren’t safe. In November 2025, a thanksgiving service at PCEA Kariobangi North Church in Gatundu South, Kiambu County, erupted into chaos when tear gas was released near the church grounds.
In a scene of chaos, congregants fled in fear, prompting strong condemnation from both religious leaders and civil society groups. A similar incident took place on January 12, 2026, at AIPCA Church in Kiamworia, Gatundu South, where police once again resorted to tear gas, disrupting the worshippers’ gathering.
Gachagua has been vocal in denouncing these actions, asserting that places of worship, funerals, and peaceful political assemblies should never be treated like war zones.
He has accused the government of using security forces to silence opposing voices, stressing that such heavy-handed tactics erode constitutional rights, including the freedoms to worship, assemble, and grieve peacefully.
Children Collapse, Women Overwhelmed in Gachagua Attack
