Mt Kenya politics marred by claims of police misuse, forced transfers

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua claimed that the Othaya church incident was not random violence but a deliberate, State-sanctioned operation involving the police. [File, Standard].

Claims of misuse and politically driven transfers of police officers have moved to the centre of an escalating power struggle in the Mt Kenya region as violence linked to political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections continues to spread.

The latest flashpoint occurred on Sunday at ACK Witima Church in Othaya, Nyeri County, where teargas was lobbed during a service attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, injuring congregants and triggering national outrage.

Gachagua has since escalated the matter, claiming the incident was not random violence but a deliberate, State-sanctioned operation involving the police.

“It was an assassination attempt sanctioned by President William Ruto and executed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen,” Gachagua alleged while addressing the Democratic Party of Kenya National Delegates Conference in Nairobi earlier in the week. He said he would soon release further details.

Gachagua accused Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi and Murang’a Woman Representative Betty Maina of mobilising police officers and hired goons to disrupt the service, alleging that armed officers were deployed under the command of bodyguards linked to the Woman Rep. The former DP read out phone numbers he claimed belonged to the police officers involved.

“Goons converged at Wamumbi’s home in the morning for briefing, then moved to Witima with AK-47 rifles and teargas canisters before descending on the church,” he claimed.

Wamumbi has denied the accusations, instead accusing Gachagua of stage-managing the chaos to gain political sympathy.

The Othaya incident is the latest in a string of violent confrontations involving Gachagua since his removal from office, spanning Nairobi, Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Embu, Nyandarua and Narok counties.

In several cases, heavily armed police officers have been deployed, with opposition leaders accusing pro-government politicians of abusing State power to deploy security agencies against rivals.

“Inspector General Douglas Kanja, why have you surrendered the National Police Service to politicians?” Gachagua posed. “The police have become a source of insecurity instead of protection.”

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka described the Nyeri incident as “domestic terrorism” and announced plans for private prosecutions, saying police complicity could not be ignored.

While senior government officials, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Cabinet Secretaries, have dismissed the claims as political theatrics, concerns over political interference in security operations extend beyond opposition rallies, with Kiambu County emerging as a case study in alleged manipulation of police deployments and punitive transfers.

A senior official in Kiambu, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the county had become a hostile posting for senior security officers unwilling to follow political instructions.

“Over the last three years, Kiambu has had four county commissioners, with some officers enduring humiliating transfers allegedly influenced by politics. Sources within the provincial administration say commissioners even receive direct insults from some elected leaders for failing to execute their orders,” the official said.

At the start of the current administration in August 2022, Joshua Nkanatha was serving as county commissioner before being transferred and replaced by Duncan Darusi on February 1, 2024. Darusi, who had previously served as deputy county commissioner in Narok West, was reassigned within a year, swapping positions with Makueni County Commissioner Henry Wafula.

Wafula was himself removed from the Kiambu post within months and recalled to headquarters before Kibet Boen was appointed county commissioner in December last year. Nkanatha is the current Central Regional Commissioner.

The Kiambu official said such frequent reshuffles had weakened command structures and emboldened political actors.

“Officers quickly learn that if you do not comply with verbal directives from powerful politicians, you are transferred. That has completely compromised decision-making and morale in the security sector,” the official said.

Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has also accused his rivals of turning security agencies into tools of persecution, citing an incident in which more than 500 police, GSU and RDU officers descended on his business near Nyayo Stadium to demolish properties despite a court order stopping the operation.

“When will this persecution end?” Wamatangi asked. “For three years, I have been politically terrorised by individuals exploiting State power.”

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen denied involvement, saying the operation was coordinated by the Transport ministry.

In March 2025, a separate standoff erupted at Ngoliba Market in Thika, where heavily armed police officers guarded a disputed construction project despite a court order halting works. County enforcement officers were injured and vehicles destroyed as police allegedly stood by.

According to the Kiambu official, nearly 100 officers were deployed from stations as far as Kinoo, Githurai Kimbo, Karuri, Gatundu North and Kiamumbi.

The court has since summoned Boen and County Police Commander Doris Kemei for allowing police to guard the construction despite the court order.

Similar allegations have surfaced in Murang’a and Nyandarua, where leaders allied to Gachagua say police used excessive force at rallies.

Meanwhile, Murkomen has ordered Nkanatha to investigate the Othaya incident, directing that all those involved be arrested, including any leaders implicated.