The harrowing details of the Sunday morning attack at Witima ACK Church have begun to emerge, centered on a miraculous escape for a driver whose vehicle was struck by a live bullet during the chaos. As former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and hundreds of worshippers were marooned inside the sanctuary, the outskirts of the church became a “kill zone” marked by gunfire and arson.
The driver, part of the DCP leader’s entourage, narrowly escaped death when a round shattered his window, missing him by inches. The incident occurred as masked assailants, reportedly working in coordination with plainclothes officers, stormed the compound.Eyewitness accounts from Othaya have painted a disturbing picture of state complicity. Residents and church leaders alleged that uniform police officers stood by or actively shielded the masked “goons” as they vandalized and torched vehicles.
“I saw the men in masks firing. When we looked to the police for help, they were lobbing tear gas at us instead of stopping the gunmen,” said one congregant. “The driver is lucky to be alive; that bullet was meant to kill.”
The assault did not spare the most vulnerable. As thick plumes of tear gas filled the church, **women and children** were caught in the crossfire. Video footage from the scene shows mothers desperately trying to flush the eyes of fainting toddlers with water while shielding them from the sound of whistling bullets. Worshippers were forced to crawl on the floor of the sanctuary to avoid the choking gas and potential stray rounds. Outside, at least three vehicles were set ablaze, and others were looted as the attackers operated with what Gachagua termed “absolute impunity.”
While Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen has since condemned the violence and promised an investigation, the image of a bullet-riddled civilian car and tear-gassed children has left a permanent scar on the national psyche.
By Nairobihub