Leaders affiliated to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who were teargassed by police in Kigumo, Murang’a county, on Sunday, July 27, 2025, now claim there was an attempt to assassinate them.

The leaders said they don’t understand why police used extreme force on them, yet they were not doing something illegal.

Addressing the press in Murang’a, they claimed a local leader had ordered the police to attack them and stop them from addressing any gathering in the area.

The leaders, including Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu, his Nyandarua counterpart John Methu, Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara, former Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau, Ndegwa Njirua and Cleophas Malala, had attended a church service at AIPCA in Kinyona hosted by MP Joseph Munyoro.

Shot at

Methu said that after leaving the church, they found police officers waiting for them outside. The officers directed them to follow a certain route.

“We wanted to know where that route would lead us to, but instead of responding, they started lobbing teargas canisters at us and shooting at us,” he said.

“We later learned that we were being led into a trap where we would be ambushed, attacked and probably killed.”

Methu wondered why the police, which claims to be independent, was being used by pro-government leaders to fight those in the opposition.

He added that the area Woman Representative, Betty Mania, had warned them that she won’t allow them to hold any meeting in her backyard.

Nyutu claimed that the officers were acting on ‘orders from above’, adding that even during the church service, there was a chopper monitoring them.

“If they can get a chopper to monitor our activities, it seems they care to know what we are doing,” said Nyutu.

Nyutu, however, said no amount of intimidation will make them bow down, adding that they will continue calling out the government for its poor leadership

“Let it be known that we are not going to be silenced, not by bullets or any kind of intimidation,” he added.

He called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes against humanity being perpetrated by the government and hold President William Ruto accountable.

Clear orders

Former Machakos Town MP Vitor Munyaka claimed that the police had clear orders to kill them, adding that the bullet holes in their vehicles indicate that they were being targeted.

“My vehicle was shot at three times, and my driver was injured, and this only implies that I was a target,” he said.

Kamau said the use of live bullets was a clear message from the government to the opposition leaders.

“Sometime back the president had vowed that no blood will be shed in the country because of politics,” said Kamau.

Munyoro condemned the attack, saying they are being used to intimidate those in opposition. He however, said they won’t stop talking and telling people the things they need to know.