Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has emerged from his political hiatus to deliver a blistering condemnation of the police action in Othaya, characterizing the teargassing of congregants as a "desecration" that signals a dangerous erosion of Kenya's moral fabric.

In a nation where the pulpit is traditionally the last sanctuary of immunity, the violent disruption of a Sunday service at Witima ACK Church has shattered an unwritten social contract. Matiang'i, once the feared enforcer of state power, has now positioned himself as the conscience of the nation, warning that weaponizing the police against the church is a "red line" that no regime should cross.

The Anatomy of "Desecration"

"The altar is sacred," Matiang'i declared in a statement released from Nairobi, his tone striking a sharp contrast to the silence of current security chiefs. "To storm a place of worship with teargas is not law enforcement; it is sacrilege. We are witnessing the terrifying normalization of state violence against the very institutions that hold our society together."

The incident, which former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has sensationally termed a "failed assassination attempt," saw police lob teargas canisters into a packed church, leaving elderly worshippers choking and children stampeding for safety. [...](asc_slot://start-slot-31)The chaos in Nyeri County is not merely a local skirmish but a symptom of the deepening fratricidal war within the Mountain region's political elite.

• The "Assassination" Narrative: Gachagua's claim of a "killer squad" sent to eliminate him has raised the political temperature to a boiling point. While police have yet to issue an official rebuttal, the optics of a former Deputy President fleeing through a church fence are damaging to the government's image of stability.
• The Security Paradox: Security analysts point to a worrying trend where the National Police Service appears to be drawn into partisan battles. "When the state uses the same tactics against a former DP that were once reserved for rioters, the message is clear: no one is safe," observes security consultant George Musamali.

A Calculated Political Re-entry?

Matiang'i's intervention is calculated and precise. By focusing on the "sanctity of worship" rather than the grit of party politics, he elevates the discourse, casting the current administration as morally adrift. His statement resonates deeply in a country where 85% of the population identifies as Christian.

As the dust settles in Othaya, the political fallout is just beginning. The church, often a passive observer, has been thrust into the center of a power struggle that threatens to destabilize the populous Central Kenya voting bloc. For the worshippers at Witima ACK, the trauma of gasping for air amidst hymns will not be easily forgotten; for the state, the cost of this "sacrilege" may be paid at the ballot box.