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PCEA asks Opposition to drop February 16 protests, urges police to arrest church attackers
A Sunday service at Witima ACK Church in Othaya was abruptly disrupted when tear gas canisters were fired inside the sanctuary during a visit by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua (inset).
The Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) has urged opposition leaders to abandon plans for nationwide protests set to begin on February 16, warning that renewed mass action could destabilize the country and deepen economic and social strain.
At the same time, the church called on Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to take swift legal action against those implicated in a recent attack on worshippers at Witima ACK Church in Othaya, Nyeri County.
“We want to see them charged and arrested. They have already been disowned but why are authorities not taking action?” said the church’s moderator, the Reverend Thegu Mutah. “We are governed by the rule of law. This cannot be swept under the carpet.”
The church’s intervention comes days after the united opposition issued an ultimatum to the government, threatening mass protests if no arrests are made over the Witima church attack, where worshippers were disrupted during a service by a group linked to political rivalries.
Speaking on behalf of the PCEA’s Business Committee, a national leadership organ comprising representatives from the church’s 61 presbyteries, Rev Mutah said the clergy felt compelled to address the nation amid what he described as rising political intolerance and threats to public safety.
Tear gas engulfs parked vehicles after armed goons disrupted a Sunday service at Witima ACK Church in Nyeri County on January 25, 2026.
“We want to thank God for the peace and tranquility in the country,” he said. “Kenyans are hardworking and resilient. But we are deeply concerned by recent developments where worshippers can be attacked inside a church. People come to church unarmed to worship God. When they are attacked, it is very sad.”
He noted that no arrests had been made weeks after the incident, despite its gravity.
Also Read: Political storm over Rigathi Gachagua attack
The church also echoed President William Ruto’s recent warning against politicizing places of worship, insisting that churches must remain neutral spaces.
“We have said it before and we say it again, the church must not be used as a political object,” Rev. Mutah said. “Even where there are political differences, violence in a church can never be justified. No utterances had even been made before the commotion began.”
The clerics acknowledged that opposition politics is protected under the Constitution but urged leaders to seek alternative methods of engagement.
“We have heard the call for mass action, and we know what mass action has done in this country before,” he said. “Lives have been lost, property destroyed, businesses disrupted. We are not fully recovered from the last unrest when young people took to the streets.”
He warned that Kenya’s past experience shows demonstrations often spiral into violence with heavy economic consequences.
“If there are other ways of resolving the issues facing us, it would be better than demonstrations that take a toll on our economy and our people,” he said.
The church also appealed for political restraint as the country edges closer to the next election cycle, cautioning leaders against inflammatory language that could inflame tensions.
“Our leaders must exercise tolerance, responsibility and restraint,” Reverend Mutah said. “Some statements provoke retaliation, and then the nation pays the price.”
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