Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has strongly criticized Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja for failing to arrest officers involved in an ambush at ACK Witima Church on Sunday, January 25, 2026.
Gachagua, who visited Kanja’s office to follow up on the attack, alleged that the Inspector General deliberately avoided meeting him and other United Opposition leaders by leaving through a back door.
“Tumefika pale akatorokea mlango ya nyuma. Anaogopa kukutana na sisi,” Gachagua said on Monday.
Loosely translated: (We got there and he left through the back door, afraid of meeting with us.)
Following the missed meeting, the opposition team held an impromptu political rally in Nyamakima, downtown Nairobi, where Gachagua warned the police chief that he would return on Friday, February 20, for another meeting.
Gachagua also pledged to mobilize 100,000 Kenyans to march to IG Kanja’s office, cautioning that the demonstration would bring the nation’s capital to a standstill.
“Tumemwambia siku ya Ijumaa, saa tatu, tutakuja kwako na watu elfu mia moja kutoka jijini Nairobi,” he said.
(We have told him that on Friday, at 9 a.m., we will come to his office with one hundred thousand people from Nairobi city.)
The former deputy president is seeking accountability for the January 25 incident, when police reportedly deployed tear gas canisters inside the church compound and during the service he attended.
Gachagua described the attack as an assassination attempt on his life, alleging that it was sanctioned by President William Ruto. He demanded that IG Kanja apprehend the officers responsible.
“This was an assassination attack targeted towards Rigathi Gachagua… a special squad of police officers called Nairobi Sierra of 12 officers was dispatched to eliminate us in church,” Gachagua said, giving the IG until February 15 to meet his demands.
On February 16, as promised, Gachagua and the United Opposition team marched to Harambee House to meet with the IG, only to find him absent.
“Despite scheduling an appointment with leaders of the United Opposition to review and track progress on critical issues such as police brutality, church attacks, and violence against women and children, he chose instead the convenience of a hide-and-seek game, subjecting us to interactions with junior police officers,” Gachagua said angrily.
“His continued refusal to act on the violent attack at ACK Witima Church, coupled with the escalating attacks across our nation, confirms a deliberate strategy to shield perpetrators and normalize impunity.”
The unfolding standoff underscores growing tensions between opposition leaders and the police, with Gachagua signaling that his fight for accountability will continue, including a high-profile march later this month.
The post Gachagua Vows Massive 100,000-March to Police HQ Over Church Attack appeared first on Nairobi Wire.
By
By
