Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has come out with guns blazing, dismissing claims of state-sponsored violence in Othaya and suggesting that the chaos which rocked the Witima ACK Church was a "self-staged" drama designed to garner political sympathy for his predecessor, Rigathi Gachagua.

In a blistering statement that marks a new low in the relationship between the country's current and former number two, Kindiki termed the violence "criminal" and "sacrilegious." The Deputy President’s remarks come hours after Gachagua, who was teargassed inside the church sanctuary, claimed he was the target of an assassination attempt orchestrated by police officers.

"Self-Sympathy" Politics

"Violence, whether organized by political opponents, or by self for sympathy... is a criminal act," Kindiki stated, carefully choosing his words to cast doubt on Gachagua’s narrative. The implication is explosive: that a senior politician would hire goons to disrupt his own prayer service to play the victim card.

The incident at Othaya has shocked the nation. Witnesses recount scenes of horror as teargas canisters exploded near the altar, forcing elderly women and children to flee through windows. Gachagua’s vehicle was reportedly set ablaze in the melee, a visual symbol of the scorching heat now consuming Mt. Kenya politics.

• The Gachagua Defense: The former DP insists that 15 police officers were deployed to "eliminate" him. "The police cannot investigate themselves," he told reporters from his Wamunyoro home, rejecting the probe ordered by Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen.
• The LSK Weighs In: Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo has condemned the police action as "indiscriminate and unconstitutional," demanding immediate accountability for the officers who lobbed teargas into a place of worship.
• The Bigger Picture: This clash is not just about one church service; it is a battle for the political soul of the Mountain. With Gachagua sidelined but refusing to go quietly, and Kindiki moving to consolidate control, the region is becoming a theater of war.

A Nation on Edge

"We are seeing the weaponization of the altar," remarked a Nyeri cleric. The desecration of a church for political battles crosses a red line in a deeply religious nation. As investigations commence—led by the very police force accused of the crime—Kenyans are left wondering: Is this the government enforcing order, or a regime at war with its own shadows?

The dust may have settled in Othaya, but the political teargas is just beginning to spread.