The dust has not yet settled on the Witima ACK Church in Othaya, but the narrative surrounding the January 25, 2026, attack is shifting from “random chaos” to a “premeditated operation.” A chilling whistleblower account from an officer allegedly involved in the mission has pulled back the curtain on a plan reportedly hatched in the heart of Nairobi.
As the former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua continues to decry an “assassination attempt,” new details suggest that the operation was designed with surgical precision to bypass local law enforcement and strike at the heart of Gachagua’s stronghold.
1. The “Friday Clearing”: Planning in Nairobi
According to a senior officer who spoke to the Daily Nation on condition of anonymity, the mission did not originate in Nyeri. Instead, a team of 15 elite officers was allegedly assembled in Nairobi on Friday, January 23.
By Friday evening, the team had been “cleared” for a specialized operation. The whistleblower claims the orders were explicit: disrupt the service at Witima ACK Church by any means necessary.
2. The “No-Interference” Order
One of the most damning revelations involves the role of local police. Usually, when a high-profile figure like the former DP visits a region, local security is on high alert. However, the insider claims that local Nyeri police were ordered in advance not to interfere.
This explains why Nyeri County Police Commander Kipchirchir Too later confirmed that no officers were at the scene when the attack began. The vacuum created by this “stand-down” order allowed the masked assailants to operate with impunity for over two hours.
3. The Composition of the Attack Squad
The whistleblower described a “hybrid” force used to carry out the assault:
-
The Core Team: 15 officers dispatched from Nairobi.
-
The Local Assets: Roughly 20 youths from Nyeri County were allegedly recruited to provide “deniability” and create the appearance of a local uprising.
-
The Logistics: A white van and a Toyota Probox—escorted by a police patrol vehicle—drove into the church compound at exactly 11:00 AM to begin the assault.
4. The Goal: Intimidation or Something More?
“The mission was to attack Mr. Gachagua and, if possible, injure him,” the officer revealed. However, the plan reportedly faced internal resistance. Several officers were hesitant to open fire inside a consecrated church, leading to a split in the team’s loyalty.
Despite this hesitation, the “hardliners” in the group proceeded to lob tear gas and fire live rounds, forcing Gachagua and the clergy to flee through a “panya route” (an unofficial back exit) and eventually through a hole in the church fence.
