Former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu has broken his silence on the chaotic scenes in Othaya, demanding the immediate resignation of the Inspector General of Police over what he terms "state-sanctioned sacrilege."

While often a critic of the former Deputy President, Wambugu’s defense of Gachagua’s right to worship highlights a shifting tide in Mount Kenya politics. The incident at ACK Witima is not just a security lapse; it is a political boomerang that threatens to consolidate sympathy for Gachagua in a region that feels increasingly under siege.

"The Red Line Has Been Crossed"

Speaking from a hotel in Nyeri town, Wambugu questioned the operational logic behind deploying anti-riot police to a church service. "We need to see the Operation Order," Wambugu insisted. "Who signed off on gassing a congregation? You cannot tell us this was spontaneous. You do not accidentally bring teargas to a sermon."

Wambugu raised three critical questions that the Ministry of Interior must answer:

• Intelligence Failure or Success? Did the National Intelligence Service (NIS) know about the "goons" Gachagua claims were present, and if so, why were the police targeting the VIP instead of the threat?
• Command Responsibility: Who was the commander on the ground? The silence from the area OCPD is deafening.
• Asset Protection: How were two high-value vehicles, valued at over KES 30 million, torched in the presence of armed officers?

The Mount Kenya Factor

The attack has galvanized local leaders. "This is 1990 all over again," Wambugu warned, drawing parallels to the dark days of the clamor for multiparty democracy when clerics were targeted. "If the government thinks this will silence Gachagua, they are mistaken. In Kikuyu culture, you do not attack a man in his sanctuary. They have just made him a martyr."

The political fallout is likely to be severe. With the cost of living already driving a wedge between the government and the "Mountain," violent suppression of a son of the soil—inside a church—could be the spark that lights a much larger fire. Wambugu’s ultimatum is clear: heads must roll, or the government risks losing the region entirely.