A sacred Sunday service in Kariobangi North became the stage for political violence, forcing worshippers to flee as armed youths clashed, yet the National Police Service (NPS) firmly denies that its officers deployed teargas inside the church sanctuary.

The incident, which left six people hospitalised, now places the community's sense of security and trust in law enforcement under sharp scrutiny. It raises urgent questions about the escalating political tensions in Nairobi, where places of worship are increasingly becoming arenas for confrontation just days after a series of volatile by-elections.

An Unsettling Sunday Service

The chaos erupted during a thanksgiving service for the newly-elected Kariobangi North ward representative, David Wanyoike, which was attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. According to a statement from NPS Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga, the situation escalated when a large group of youths armed with crude weapons attempted to storm the PCEA Berea Parish grounds.

A rival group reportedly arrived to confront them, sparking a melee that spilled into the church compound and temporarily halted the service. Eyewitnesses described a terrifying scene, with goons on motorbikes hurling bottles and attacking people. “They had knives and crude weapons. They started stoning the church and damaging vehicles around,” one witness, Peter Kamua, recounted.

Questions Mount Over Police Conduct

While the NPS acknowledged the disturbance was “regrettable” and appeared “planned and premeditated,” it has strongly contested the accounts of teargas being used within the church itself. “The Service also wishes to correct misinformation alleging that a tear gas canister was thrown into the church. Church leadership have been contacted and have denied that this occurred,” Nyaga’s statement emphasized.

However, some reports from the scene painted a different picture, with claims of teargas fumes engulfing the premises and forcing congregants to seek shelter inside the building. The NPS confirmed that reinforcements were called and officers intervened to quell the violence, which concluded by 2:00 p.m. EAT.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has been instructed to launch a full probe into the incident. As Kariobangi residents grapple with the aftermath, the investigation will be critical in untangling the political motivations behind the violence and restoring faith in the sanctity and safety of public gathering spaces.