GEMA Watho Association demands probe into police attack at a Nyeri church

The GEMA Watho Association has condemned the alleged use of force by police officers and goons during an incident at Witima ACK Church in Othaya in Nyeri County, calling it unlawful and a violation of the Constitution.

Speaking to the press GEMA Watho Chairman Wambugu Wanjohi described reports of tear gas, live ammunition, and force against unarmed civilians in a church as deeply troubling.

“A church should be a safe space for everyone, without exception. What happened in Othaya is not normal, not acceptable, and not lawful,” Wanjohi said.

The association said the incident reflects a growing pattern of violence and intimidation around political and civic activity.

“The use of disorder and intimidation alongside state power erodes lawful authority and replaces it with fear,” The association's Vice Chair Dorine Kubai said.

Secretary Angela Mwadumbo warned that no space is truly protected if even a church service can be targeted.

“When even a place of worship is not spared from intimidation, we must ask what space remains truly sacred in this country,” she said.

The association said police officers involved must be held accountable.

“The badge is not a shield against responsibility. It is a symbol of trust that demands restraint, discipline, and respect for human life,” Wanjohi said.

The group is calling for the immediate intervention of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to conduct prompt, independent, and public investigations.

“Accountability must go beyond the officers on the ground and include those who planned, authorized, or failed to stop this operation,” the Chairman said.

The association said it would pursue private prosecutions if institutions fail to act.

“Accountability cannot be held hostage to institutional delay or political convenience,” Kubai said.

Referencing the Waki Report, Mwadumbo warned that ignoring previous lessons on state tolerance for organised violence risks collapse of the rule of law.

“Ignoring those lessons is how societies slide from isolated abuses into systemic failure,” she said.

The association said Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja bear direct responsibility for the police conduct, adding that the ODPP must also act.

“These are not public relations issues. The use of live ammunition, tear gas, and destruction of property are constitutional and criminal matters that demand legal consequences,” Wanjohi said.

The association urged the public to remain vigilant.

“Evidence protects truth, and documentation restrains denial,” Wanjohi said.

“A church must remain a sanctuary, the Constitution must remain our shield, and justice must remain non-negotiable.”