Kiambu Senator Karungo Wa Thang'wa has come out guns blazing, offering a chilling explanation for the repeated attacks on former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua: pure, unadulterated fear of his political influence.

Speaking to NTV Kenya just hours after surviving the chaos at Witima ACK Church in Othaya, the Senator painted a picture of a state apparatus terrified of the masses. He argued that the decision to attack Gachagua in places of worship is a calculated strategy to isolate him from his supporters and weaponize fear against the church.

"They Cannot Face the Crowds"

"Why do they follow him to the altar?" Thang'wa posed during the interview. "Because they know they cannot face the masses that Gachagua pulls in an open rally. They are afraid of the people. So they choose the church—a confined space—to lob teargas and create panic. It is the tactic of a coward."

Thang'wa, who was among the leaders evacuated through a back fence during the Sunday melee, described the attackers as a "hit squad" rather than police officers. He claimed the intent was not just to disperse, but to harm.

• The Strategy: According to Thang'wa, the state prefers church attacks because the smaller crowds are easier to intimidate, and the sacrilege of attacking a holy place sends a terrifying message to the clergy to distance themselves from Gachagua.
• The Resolve: Despite the teargas and the burnt vehicles, the Senator vowed that the "Mountain" would not be cowed. "If they think teargas will wash away our resolve, they are mistaken. It only waters the seeds of resistance."

A deepening Crisis

The Senator's remarks have escalated the political tension in the Mt. Kenya region. With the church now a battleground, the sanctity of worship is pitted against the brutality of politics. For Thang'wa and the Gachagua camp, the Othaya incident is proof that their opponents have run out of political arguments and are now relying on the barrel of the gun—and the canister of gas—to silence dissent.