A routine Sunday service in Kariobangi North descended into terror when police fired teargas to disperse rival political groups, with the fumes engulfing a packed PCEA church compound.

The incident, which left congregants choking and children weeping, has ignited a political firestorm. It has also drawn a sharp and unusual rebuke from Nyandarua Senator John Methu, a member of the ruling UDA party, who directly challenged the government's heavy-handed tactics.

The chaos erupted around noon on Sunday, November 30, during a thanksgiving service for the newly elected Kariobangi North MCA, David Wanyoike. The event, attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, became a flashpoint when rival youth groups clashed near the church entrance. Eyewitnesses reported that youths armed with crude weapons and arriving on motorbikes stormed the venue, leading to running battles.

A Sacred Space Violated

In the ensuing melee, police intervened by firing teargas canisters and live bullets to restore order. While the National Police Service (NPS) has denied that any teargas was thrown *inside* the church sanctuary, multiple reports and videos confirmed that fumes seeped into the building, causing panic and disrupting the service for about five minutes. Congregants, including Sunday school children, were seen fleeing the compound, coughing and covering their faces.

The NPS acknowledged that the disturbance was “regrettable” and appeared “planned and premeditated,” stating that six people were injured. However, former DP Gachagua fiercely contested the official narrative, accusing President Ruto of deploying “goons and police” to punish Kariobangi residents for rejecting the UDA candidate in the recent by-election. “Directing police to throw tear gas in a church to harm the clergy, women and children is the lowest a leader can go,” Gachagua stated, calling the act a desecration of a holy place.

A Crack in the Ruling Party?

Perhaps the most significant fallout is the criticism from within the government's own ranks. In a widely circulated video, Senator Methu, speaking in the presence of Gachagua, appeared to directly address the President. "'Ruto Wewe Si Mungu, Hapana piga watu tear gas kwa kanisa,'" he fumed, which translates to "Ruto, you are not God, do not teargas people in church." This public break underscores the growing political tensions surrounding Gachagua, whose DCP party clinched the ward seat from UDA.

The Kariobangi incident does not exist in a vacuum. It follows a pattern of tense by-elections marked by accusations of state interference and violence. Both Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya have recently condemned what they term as widespread intimidation and voter bribery in other polls.

As the DCI launches a full probe into the Kariobangi chaos, the nation watches. The core question for many Kenyans is not just about political rivalry, but about the sanctity of places of worship and the limits of state power in a democracy. The government's next steps will determine whether this was an isolated tragedy or a grim preview of the political landscape ahead.