People scamper for safety after suspected plain-clothes police officers lobbed teargas into Witima Anglican Church of Kenya in Othaya, Nyeri County, on January 25, 2026. [Kibata Kihu, Standard]Terror struck worshippers in Othaya, Nyeri County, on Sunday after people suspected to be plain-clothes police officers lobbed teargas into Witima Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK), choking hundreds of faithful, including children and infants. The attack targeted former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and his allies. During the chaos, one of Gachagua’s vehicles was torched, while others belonging to his allies were vandalised. Witnesses said armed assailants, some firing AK-47 rifles into the air, caused panic and confusion.

He narrated how he and his wife are struggling, claiming some people were enjoying their son's money. Kelvin Kiptum’s Father Breaks Down in Emotional Video, Accuses Daughter-in-Law of Short-Changing HimSource: UGCKiptum died in a road accident alongside his Rwandan coach in February 2024. He revealed that he hasn't been able to access his son's money for almost two years after his death. Below is the video:Kenyans sympathised with Kiptum's father, and below is what they had to say:Koech said:"So sad😭." Kelvin Kiptum’s Father Breaks Down in Emotional Video, Accuses Daughter-in-Law of Short-Changing HimSource: UGCSource: TUKO.co.ke

Former Interior CS Fred Matiang'i / HANDOUTFormer Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has called for impartial enforcement of the law following violence at Witima ACK Church in Othaya that involved former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. In a statement on Sunday, Matiang’i said that ensuring justice and protecting citizens’ rights must be non-partisan, warning that selective enforcement erodes public trust in democratic institutions. The chaos occurred on Sunday at Witima ACK Church in Othaya, Nyeri County, where Gachagua and his team were attending a church service. “I have noted with great concern the incident at Witima ACK Church in Othaya, Nyeri County. Several vehicles parked within the church compound were also reportedly damaged during the chaos that followed.

Additionally, he downs 12 cans of Diet Coke over the course of the day. Showing up at the office at 8 a.m., I couldn't fathom drinking a Diet Coke at such an early hour. Yet I remained dedicated to the mission, and the Diet Coke provided some sense of fullness. I had fallen significantly behind the President's daily Diet Coke consumption and didn't pop open the second can until 12 p.m. Show moreMidway through my day of eating like Trump, I felt nauseous, and I endured a hangover from the excessive consumption for an entire day afterward.

1 / 7India’s Kaza petrol pump in Spiti Valley stands as the world’s highest, serving as a vital fuel lifeline for travellers and locals. 2 / 7The world’s highest petrol pump is not in the US or China but in India’s remote Spiti Valley. 3 / 7The world’s highest petrol pump is not in the US or China but in India’s remote Spiti Valley. 4 / 7Operated by Indian Oil, this fuel station is officially recognised as the highest retail petrol pump in the world. 5 / 7Kaza has just one petrol pump for the entire Spiti Valley, making it a lifeline for locals and travellers alike.

ODM leaders led by secretary general Edwin Sifuna (second right), Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi, Siaya governor James Orengo and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino at PAG Kawangware/HANDOUTA section of ODM leaders has mounted calls for the party to convene a National Delegates Congress (NDC), warning against any attempt to remove Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna as Secretary General. Speaking at a church service at PAG Kawangware, Nairobi, the leaders decried external interference, saying there were concerted efforts to destabilize ODM. Among those present were Sifuna, ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi, Siaya Governor James Orengo, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, and Saboti MP Caleb Amisi. “We lost our party leader Raila Odinga, and we are still crying. He added, “As Deputy Party Leader, Sifuna has not wronged anyone and I will stand with him.”He further stressed that ODM should consider fielding a presidential candidate.

DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala / ScreengrabDemocracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) Deputy Leader Cleophas Malala has alleged that the former deputy president and the party leader, Rigathi Gachagua, has been abducted. This follows chaos that occurred on Sunday at Witima ACK Church in Othaya, Nyeri County, where Gachagua and his team were attending a church service. They hurled teargas at us when we were coming out, some people took our party leader, Rigathi Gachagua, and we don’t know where he has been taken,” Malala said. Malala demanded that Gachagua be “produced within the next one hour,” accusing unknown actors of endangering the lives of DCP officials and supporters. He held the Inspector General of Police and all those responsible fully accountable for the safety of Gachagua, his team, and the civilians inside the church.

Oil storage tankers at the KPRL, Changamwe in Mombasa County. [File, Standard]For years, the Kenya Petroleum Refineries Ltd (KPRL) had been written off. Since it quit crude oil refining operations in 2013, the refinery stood as a silent, rusted relic in Changamwe, whose glory days were well behind it.

"I have noted with great concern the incident at Witima ACK Church in Othaya, Nyeri County. Violence anywhere, and least of all in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” Murkomen said. In a post on X, Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang'wa alleged that Gachagua was being held hostage at Witima ACK Church in Othaya. In July 2025, a church service at AIPCA Christ the King Church in Kahuro, Kigumo, Murang’a County, ended in chaos when police blocked roads and used teargas to disperse congregants. On November 2025, a Thanksgiving service at PCEA Kariobangi North Church in Gatundu South, Kiambu County, descended into panic when tear gas was deployed near the compound.

Former Deputy President and clerics attending service at Witima ACK Church Othaya in Nyeri county on Sunday were forced to use an alternative route to leave the church premises. In a video seen by the Star, Gachagua, clerics and other worshippers had to use a 'panya route' to escape from the mayhem. In a different video, the men armed with guns can be seen firing and lobbing tear gas towards the church. It is alleged that vehicles, including those that belong to Gachagua, and property of unknown value were destroyed during the incident. In a post on X, Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang'wa alleged that Gachagua is still being held hostage at Witima ACK Church in Othoya.

“Where we are now, the surest bet is to have ODM stick with UDA to the end. Former ODM deputy chairman William Odhil warned: “We want the ODM leadership led by party leader Oburu Oginga to end rifts within the party. On Sunday last week, ODM held parallel rallies with Winnie addressing a rally in Kibra, Nairobi while Oburu was meeting ODM delegates in Kakamega. Winnie, who is an EALA MP, ODM deputy party leader Godfrey Osotsi, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Secretary General Edwin Sifuna have broken ranks with the party over the talks with Ruto ahead of the 2027 elections. Dr Oburu, ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga alongside ODM deputy party leaders Abdulswamad Nassir and Simba Arati are backing talks with UDA.

Gachagua claimed that his vehicles were torched during the incident. [Gachagua, Facebook]A church service at Witima ACK Church in Othaya, Nyeri County, attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, was on Sunday disrupted after police lobbed tear gas, causing panic among congregants. Gachagua later took to social media to condemn the incident, alleging that security officers also fired live bullets as they moved in to disperse worshippers. “We are marooned in church being attacked with live bullets and tear gas, and my vehicles have been torched. By the time of publication, police had not issued a statement on the incident or responded to the allegations.

But in Western Kenya, one prison officer is determined to ensure those children are not forgotten. Many children of prisoners remain out of school, exposed to child labour, abuse, and early dropout due to a lack of resources. Another beneficiary, Naomi Wanjala, whose husband is serving a 20-year sentence, said PCM rescued her children from an uncertain future. As the children at the Bungoma center clutched their new stationery and looked towards the future once thought out of reach, the impact of the initiative is already evident. By keeping vulnerable children in school, Wafula is quietly breaking a cycle of stigma and neglect that often shadows incarceration.

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As Gachagua positions the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) as the primary Mt Kenya political vehicle, disputes over nominations have begun to surface, triggering exits from the young party. Kamau, who had declared interest in the Murang’a governor seat on the DCP ticket, said his decision to take a break was due to “reasons beyond my control”. “There will be no direct tickets,” Gachagua said. “I have heard there is a young man challenging Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa on a DCP ticket,” the former DP said. While party primaries are popular in principle, they often leave behind disgruntled losers, especially in regions where securing a party ticket is effectively equivalent to winning an election.