Opposition abandons IG Kanja talks, targets 12 officers over Witima attack

The coalition invoked Article 157(6)(b) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, which allows private individuals to institute criminal proceedings when the state refuses to act.

“We shall not be returning to the office of the Inspector General,” the coalition said in a joint statement.

The Witima church attack occurred on January 25 in Othaya, Nyeri County, during a service attended by Gachagua.

The attack involved the deployment of tear gas and live ammunition, leaving civilians trapped inside the church while vehicles outside were set ablaze.

The coalition has described it as an attempted assassination.

The coalition says investigations have concluded, with 12 police officers identified as having executed the attack using two Land Cruiser vehicles from Nairobi.

Two members of parliament from Murang’a and Nyeri counties were named as financiers.

The completed investigative file, the coalition claims, was ready for transmission to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) but was intercepted by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who directed that no prosecution proceed.

“It is the deliberate use of a government ministry to shield would-be assassins from accountability,” the joint statement noted.

The coalition had met Kanja on January 30, at Jogoo House in Nairobi, leaving in what it described as good faith that investigations would proceed.

A follow-up meeting scheduled for February 16, fell through when the coalition was told Kanja was unavailable until February 20.

“We have been reliably informed that investigations have been concluded and the perpetrators identified,” the joint statement read.

The coalition cited Article 157(10) of the constitution, under which the ODPP operates independently and cannot take direction from any person or authority, as the basis for its claim that Murkomen acted unlawfully.

“This is obstruction of justice and a criminal abuse of power,” the joint statement observed.

The coalition announced public assemblies in Kisii and Nyamira from February 23 to February 25 and in Nakuru on February 27 and February 28, citing Article 37 of the constitution, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly.

“These are lawful assemblies protected under Article 37 of the Constitution,” the joint statement added.

The group warned it had documented past incidents of security forces disrupting its gatherings and said it would pursue accountability for any violations.

“Service to all cannot mean protection for the powerful and repression for the opposition,” the joint statement noted.