Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has rejected claims linking him to an alleged officer accused of leading violence at Witima ACK Church in Nyeri, pushing back against accusations made by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
On Monday, January 26, Gachagua had shared a photo of a man he claimed was an officer attached to Kindiki and alleged that the Deputy President was complicit in the incident.
"Bwana saprano (Kindiki), I hear you are calling for investigations. This is your officer who led the attack in Witima ACK church. You are part and parcel of the conspiracy," he claimed.
However, in a sharp rebuttal, Kindiki dismissed the claim as baseless, accused Gachagua of desperation, and reiterated his long-standing opposition to political violence.
Kindiki denied knowing the person in the image and rejected any suggestion of his involvement in the violence.
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"Good evening, Wamitego (Gachagua): the image you have circled is not of any officer or staff attached to me. I don’t know who that is. I know you are desperate to associate me in whatever way with the criminal act involving you yesterday. Unfortunately for you, this is not where to find me," he said.
Kindiki went on to restate his principled stance against the use of violence in politics and distanced himself from any such methods.
"I condemned and will continue to condemn the backward behaviour of the use of violence to transact politics, whether by notam, haftam, wantam, or tutam people. I don’t use violence to do politics - and I have been in politics longer than you. Instead, I use logic, persuasion, and consensus," he added.
Kindiki urged Gachagua not to drag him into confrontational politics and emphasized the need for accountability for those who organized the chaos.
"Please do your stuff, and don’t invite me to a duel because our methods of doing things are not the same. Once more, whoever organized the violence needs to be punished before they cause more harm to our country," he further said.
Notably, following the incident, the National Police Service (NPS) gave an account of the chaotic incident that disrupted the church service.
The disturbance, which occurred at around 11 am, drew national attention after it emerged that several political leaders, including Gachagua, were present at the time.
In a statement, the police described the incident as regrettable and unacceptable, outlining how a teargas canister was thrown into the church during worship, causing panic and damage to property.
"The National Police Service (PS) has taken note of a deeply regrettable incident that took place at about 11 am at St. Peter's ACK Church, Witima, Othaya, Nyeri County, where several political figures, including DCP leader Hon. Rigathi Gachagua, were in attendance.
"Police reports indicate that as the church service was underway, a teargas canister is said to have been thrown inside the building, disrupting the proceedings. There are also reports of several vehicles being damaged within the church compound," the statement read.
NPS further revealed that immediate action was taken by senior commanders, with criminal investigators and internal affairs officers instructed to move in to handle the situation.
"The Regional Police Commander for Central immediately directed Nyeri Criminal Investigations Officer (CCIO) to move in quickly and secure the scene and commence investigations. The Inspector General of the National Police Service, having been made aware of the incident, has directed the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) to move in with speed and commence investigations with the deserved urgency. There were no reports of injuries. The nature of this incident is totally unacceptable and has no place in this country," the statement added.
Further, the police issued a warning to those behind the disruption, stressing that violence has no place in places of worship and that anyone found responsible will face the full force of the law.
"The NPS wishes to remind Kenyans that it abhors violence in all its forms and those who shall be found to have perpetrated this callous disruption of the church service shall be dealt with firmly and swiftly as per the law. Churches are sanctuaries and have nothing to do with political differences or violence of whatever form or shape," the statement further read.
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