Opposition leaders, Rigathi Gachagua (DCP), Fred Matiangi (Jubilee), Eugene Wamalwa (DAPK) and Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper) at an undisclosed hotel in Nairobi. Photo Courtesy. 
By Andrew Mbuva.
The United Opposition has escalated its standoff with the State, accusing Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen of interfering with criminal investigations into the alleged attack at Witima ACK Church in Othaya and the attempted assassination of Second Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
In a press statement released on February 19, 2026 , the opposition coalition announced that it would no longer seek engagement with Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, citing what it termed as political interference and obstruction of justice.
According to the statement, leaders of the coalition met the Inspector General on January 30 at Jogoo House in Nairobi to discuss the violent incident at Witima ACK Church and the alleged assassination attempt. The opposition said it left the meeting in good faith, expecting that investigations would proceed independently and that justice would follow. A follow-up meeting scheduled for February 16 did not materialize after the Inspector General was reported unavailable.
However, the coalition now claims that investigations into the church attack had already been concluded and that twelve police officers were identified as having carried out the operation using two Land Cruiser vehicles from Nairobi.
It further alleges that two Members of Parliament from Murang’a and Nyeri counties financed the attack. The investigative file, the statement says, was ready for submission to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) but was intercepted at the Interior Ministry with instructions that no prosecution should take place.
The opposition described the alleged move as a “criminal abuse of power” and a direct assault on the Constitution. It argued that the independence of the ODPP is safeguarded under Article 157(10) of the Constitution and cannot be subjected to direction or control by any person or authority. By allegedly halting the process, the coalition claims the Interior Ministry had shielded suspects from accountability and undermined the rule of law.
Quoting the National Police Service motto, “Utumishi kwa Wote” (Service to All), the coalition said service must not mean protection for the powerful while citizens and political opponents face repression. Instead, it said, it must reflect impartial enforcement of the law and equal protection for all Kenyans.
Declaring that it had exhausted efforts to seek action through State institutions, the United Opposition announced that it would initiate private prosecutions against the twelve police officers allegedly involved and the two Members of Parliament accused of financing the operation. The coalition cited Article 157(6)(b) of the Constitution, Section 28 of the ODPP Act, and Section 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code as providing the legal basis for private prosecutions where the State fails or refuses to act.
“The law is on our side. The Constitution is on our side. The Kenyan people are on our side,” the statement declares, adding that those implicated in the alleged attack “will be held to account.”
The coalition also warned the Inspector General and the Kenya Police Service against interfering with its planned public meetings, beginning with a gathering in Nairobi on February 22.
As of press time, there had been no official response from the Interior Ministry, the National Police Service, or the ODPP regarding the allegations.
