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Shollei: It is wrong to blame Ruto for 2007 Kiambaa church attack

Shollei: It is wrong to blame Ruto for 2007 Kiambaa church attack
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei speaks during a funeral program in Kakamega on July 20, 2024. PHOTO/@GladysShollei/X

Uasin Gishu County Woman Representative Gladys Boss Shollei has dismissed the claim that President William Ruto was associated with the Kiambaa church attack during the 2007 post-election violence that led to loss of lives.

Speaking in a local TV interview on Monday, February 2, 2026, Shollei has called out the members of the United Opposition who have continuously linked President Ruto to the burning of the church at Kiambaa in Eldoret, where more than 30 people were reported to be dead.

Shollei has said the relevant authorities should be left to carry out the investigations and should not castigate the president because he was then serving as a Member of Parliament for the Eldoret North constituency at the time when the church lies.

“It is wrong to blame Ruto for the attack on a church in Kiambaa during the 2007 post-election violence simply because he was the MP for Eldoret at the time. During that period, Ruto was at KICC defending the vote count for Raila,” Shollei said.

National Assembly deputy speaker Gladys Boss Shollei during a past event: PHOTO/@GladysShollei/X
National Assembly deputy speaker Gladys Boss Shollei during a past event: PHOTO/@GladysShollei/X

Shollei has told the members of the united opposition that they should not take pride in accusing the president wrongly to get political mileage and should instead allow time for investigations to be completed. She has also called on the United Opposition to use legal channels to report injustices against them.

Criticism over church attacks

The deputy speaker’s sentiments have come at a time when the opposition has come out to point fingers at President Ruto over the church attack, following a series of events where the former deputy president and the Democracy for Citizens (DCP) party leader, Rigathi Gachagua, and his allies were forced to leave the church prematurely after police disrupted the gatherings.

The recent attack on churches has sparked criticism from both the leaders who support President Ruto and the United Opposition Brigade. The latter are now calling on the government to take action against the perpetrators of these attacks, failure to do which they have warned will call for mass action.

President William Ruto, who was then the deputy president of Kenya with a team of lawyers at the International Criminal Court in 2010.
President William Ruto, who was then the deputy president of Kenya with a team of lawyers at the International Criminal Court in 2010. PHOTO/Print

 The united opposition has also hinted at the possibility of reviving the International Criminal Court (ICC) case against President Ruto .

Author

Ndiritu Wanjiru

N.W.

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