The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has condemned the teargassing of worshippers at ACK Witima Parish in Nyeri County, calling it an unconstitutional violation of the freedom of worship and accusing police of repeatedly desecrating places of prayer with impunity.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, NCCK said the incident occurred on Sunday, January 25, 2026, when police disrupted an ongoing Anglican Church of Kenya service, an action the council said violated Article 32(2) of the Constitution, which guarantees every person the right to worship “either individually or in community with others, in public or in private.”
“The National Police Service violated the constitutional right to worship as provided for under Article 32 (2) of the Constitution of Kenya (2010),” the council said, adding that legal provisions governing police conduct during public gatherings were ignored.
“The NCCK notes that these provisions were not followed during the incident.”
Quoting scripture, the council warned against the use of violence in sacred spaces, saying, “The deliberate, unwarranted, and unprovoked lobbing of teargas canisters at worshippers in a place of worship is not only illegal and unconstitutional but an attack on the body of Jesus Christ of Nazareth who is our Lord and Savior.”
NCCK said the Nyeri incident is part of a worrying pattern, noting that at least nine churches have been attacked by police during worship services since 2020.
These include incidents in Murang’a, Nakuru, Nairobi, Nyandarua, Kiambu and other counties, where teargas was used during prayers, vigils or immediately after services had ended.
“This worrying trend must stop now,” the council said, expressing “grave concern on the desecration of places of worship by Police Officers.”
The council further faulted authorities for failing to hold officers accountable, saying none of the police involved in the listed incidents had been interdicted, investigated or prosecuted.
“This indicates state approval at the highest level,” NCCK warned.
As a result, the church body issued two firm demands to the government. It called for “an unqualified apology from the Minister for Interior and the Inspector General of the National Police Service to the Church and the religious community in Kenya,” and demanded the “speedy interdiction, investigation and prosecution of all the Police Officers involved in the attacks on churches during worship services.”
The statement was signed by NCCK Chairman Rev Dr Elias Otieno Agola and General Secretary Rev Canon Chris Kinyanjui at the council’s headquarters at Jumuia Place, Nairobi.
NCCK said it would continue to defend the sanctity of worship spaces and urged the state to respect constitutional freedoms, warning that continued violations risk eroding public trust and social cohesion.
