The sanctity of the pulpit has been shattered by the stench of tear gas and the roar of politics. In a Sunday that will go down in infamy, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was forced to flee a church service in Othaya, claiming he narrowly escaped a state-sponsored assassination attempt.

The incident at Witima ACK Church has plunged the country into a new political crisis. While Gachagua speaks of a "killer squad" dispatched to eliminate him, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has issued a directive that sounds more like damage control than a call to action. The government is now investigating itself, a scenario that rarely yields the truth.

"They Came to Kill"

Gachagua, a man who has never shied away from hyperbole, was visibly shaken. "This was not crowd control. This was an execution team," he told supporters at his Wamunyoro residence. He pointed to the shattered windscreens of his convoy as proof that live rounds were used alongside the tear gas.

The narrative is clear: the fallout between the President and his former deputy has moved from political podiums to physical confrontation.

• The Government's Stance: CS Murkomen termed the violence "unacceptable" and directed IG Douglas Kanja to investigate. "Violence has no place in a place of worship," he stated.
• The Reality on the Ground: Witnesses report a coordinated arrival of unmarked vehicles and uniformed officers who lobbed canisters directly into the congregation.
• The Political Undertone: This attack in Gachagua's Nyeri backyard is being interpreted as a warning shot—literally and figuratively—to silence his mounting opposition campaign.

A Nation on Edge

As the Inspector General begins his probe, the public skepticism is at an all-time high. Can the police investigate an alleged police hit squad? The events in Othaya have crossed a red line. When the church is no longer a sanctuary, the state has lost its moral compass.