Kajiado North Member of Parliament Onesmus Ngogoyo has criticised President William Ruto’s condemnation of recent attacks on churches, saying the President’s words do not match the actions of state security agencies.
Ngogoyo was reacting to the disruption of a church service at ACK Church Witima in Othaya, Nyeri County, on January 25, 2026. The incident occurred during a service attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, when police lobbed teargas in and around the church compound, forcing worshippers to flee.
Although President Ruto later urged Kenyans to respect the sanctity of churches and warned against turning places of worship into spaces for political rivalry and division, Ngogoyo said such calls appear hollow when police are accused of attacking worshippers.
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Speaking during a local television interview on February 2, the MP said attacking a church crosses a moral line that should never be crossed in any society.
“When violence reaches a church, it shows there is something seriously wrong with our values as a nation,” Ngogoyo said.
He noted that even in countries affected by war, churches and mosques are often respected as safe places where civilians can seek refuge. According to Ngogoyo, the Othaya incident shows a worrying decline in respect for sacred spaces in Kenya.
President Ruto, while addressing a church service in Nairobi on Sunday, directed security agencies to protect churches from what he described as unnecessary and retrogressive politics. He said churches should remain places of peace, prayer and unity.
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However, Ngogoyo insisted that such statements must be backed by action, especially by security agencies that report to the executive.
“You cannot say the altar should be respected, then allow teargas to be used on worshippers,” he said, adding that leaders must show consistency and moral responsibility.
The incident has drawn strong criticism from religious leaders, with the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) accusing police of violating the Constitution and the right to freedom of worship.
Ngogoyo said the controversy reflects a deeper crisis in Kenya’s politics and leadership.
“If the state cannot protect a church, then we must ask ourselves what kind of country we are becoming,” he said.
By Benedict Aoya
