Senator Mungatana faults leaders linking Gachagua’s church chaos to Ruto
Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana has strongly criticized political leaders attempting to connect President William Ruto to the disruption that unfolded during a church service attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in Nairobi’s Kasarani Constituency on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
The chaos broke out at PCEA Mwiki Church shortly after Gachagua arrived with his political allies.
A group of unidentified individuals attempted to storm the sanctuary, sparking tension among congregants.
During the confrontation, gunshots were heard, plastic chairs were broken, and some of Gachagua’s vehicles were pelted with stones, leaving visible damage.
“Let us remain calm, please,” the bishop was heard urging the congregation during the brief unrest before security forces restored order and the service continued.
Misleading assertions
Speaking on a local media station on Monday, April 7, 2025, Mungatana condemned attempts to draw the president into the fracas, terming such assertions as irresponsible.
The senator defended the president, arguing that he does not stand to gain from orchestrating such disruptions.
“Ruto has been around long enough to know that it doesn’t pay to be violent against the other person. What matters is that when you are in government you deliver and then you wait for the scorecard. It is also irresponsible for some of those leaders that are trying to link this to the president because there’s no political gain in it,” he stated.
He called on leaders to exercise responsibility in their public statements.
“I think Kenyans should rise to the occasion. Get to know that politicians are just like lawyers. You’ll go argue a case and after the case, they’ll go and take tea together,” Mungatana stated.
“Kenyans should also resist incitement because I saw one of the other guys saying that it is William Ruto who is planning this. I don’t think so,” he added.
Mungatana further emphasized that political competition should remain professional, noting that opposing politicians often maintain cordial relationships despite their public differences.
“As a matter of fact, those that we compete against are colleagues and in most cases, whether they are in opposition or the minority or majority, we take tea together in the Senate, and I know that’s what happens in other assemblies,” he explained.
Leaders condemn incident
Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu, however, took a sharply different view.
Addressing congregants at the same PCEA Mwiki Church after the incident, Nyutu condemned the attack and directly criticized President Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, suggesting their possible involvement in the incident.
“We must condemn the very shameful act that has taken place here in church today. And I want to respectfully tell our president that people were burned in a church over there in your home area, Kiambaa; our children died, the Gen Z children. You have dismissed those who helped you during the election,” Nyutu said.
He added that if Ruto and Sakaja had a hand in the attack, then their leadership was “already spiritually condemned.”
“Your leadership—God has said ‘mene mene tekel’ because you cannot do that to a church where we worship the Almighty God just because Gachagua has come here,” Nyutu added.
A close ally of Gachagua, Nyutu called on Ruto to emulate both Raila and Gachagua, noting the former DP had remained calm during Ruto’s recent visits to Mt Kenya.
“I want to commend Raila for learning from Gachagua how to listen to the ground. He listened to Kisii, where people said ‘Ruto must go,’ and the following week he didn’t come to Nairobi with Ruto. Now I ask Ruto to learn from Gachagua: You came to the mountain, Gachagua didn’t say anything, we didn’t disturb you, learn from Riggy G,” he said.
