NCCK Demands Apology Over Police Disruption of Church Services
Politics Updated: 26 January 2026 16:34 EAT
Scenes as women and children ran for their lives as police teargassed Wairima ACK church, Othaya. church services interfered leaving many injured
The National Council of Churches of Kenya has demanded a public apology from Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja over what it describes as a growing and disturbing pattern of police interference in worship services.
The council’s demand follows the disruption of a Sunday service at the Anglican Church of Kenya Witima Parish in Othaya, Nyeri County, where police lobbed teargas into the church compound, forcing congregants to flee and bringing the service to an abrupt halt.
In a statement, NCCK said the incident amounted to a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of worship and conscience, warning that places of worship should never be treated as arenas for security operations.
The church body argued that the actions of the police breached Article 32 of the Constitution, which guarantees every person the right to practice religion freely, peacefully and without interference.
NCCK further accused security agencies of disregarding established legal frameworks, including provisions under the Public Order Act and the National Police Service Act, which guide police conduct during public operations.
According to the council, the Othaya incident is not isolated but part of a wider trend in which police have disrupted church services in different parts of the country, often without accountability.
The council expressed concern that repeated incidents involving teargas and heavy-handed policing around churches have gone largely unpunished, fostering a culture of impunity within the security services.
NCCK called for the immediate interdiction, investigation and prosecution of officers involved in the disruption of worship services, insisting that apologies alone would not be sufficient without accountability.
Police authorities and the Interior Ministry have since described the Othaya incident as regrettable and confirmed that investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances under which teargas was deployed.
No injuries were officially reported, although the incident caused panic among worshippers and damage to property within the church compound.
The incident has drawn condemnation from legal and human rights bodies, which have warned that failure to protect places of worship undermines constitutional freedoms and public trust in security agencies.
Several political leaders have also criticised the police action, calling for restraint and respect for religious institutions amid heightened political tensions.
NCCK cautioned that continued interference in worship services risks eroding social cohesion and the moral authority of state institutions.
The council urged the government to reaffirm its commitment to constitutionalism by ensuring churches remain sanctuaries of peace, free from intimidation and excessive use of force.
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FELIX MAKONA
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