Kenya's ex-deputy president alleges assassination attempt in church attack

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete January 25, 2026 at 10:29 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Kenyan opposition figure Rigathi Gachagua, former deputy president, alleges an assassination attempt occurred during a church service in Othaya, Nyeri county. Gachagua claims rogue police officers attacked St Peters Anglican Church with bullets and tear gas, accusing President William Ruto of ordering the attack, though he provided no evidence. Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen condemned the violence, and police have launched an investigation into the incident, which disrupted the service and damaged vehicles. Gachagua, who was impeached in 2024, maintains he will be on the presidential ballot next year despite his conviction, as he is appealing the decision.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Supreme Court 30% Democracy for the Citizens Party 40% Nyeri 40% Othaya 50% Mount Kenya ×250% St Peters Anglican Church 60% Kipchumba Murkomen ×260% William Ruto ×270% Kenya ×280% Rigathi Gachagua ×890%

Keywords

assassination attempt 90% rigathi gachagua 80% church attack 80% kenya 70% political violence 70% police investigation 60% william ruto 60% tear gas 50% impeachment trial 50% political opposition 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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assassination attempt rigathi gachagua church attack kenya political violence police investigation william ruto tear gas impeachment trial political opposition

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