Kenya’s All Saints’ Cathedral Invaded During Public Forum

Kenya Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit

By Shadrack Omuka I THE LIVING CHURCH I June 21, 2026

The Anglican Church of Kenya’s All Saints’ Cathedral in Nairobi was invaded by unidentified individuals on motorcycles on Friday, June 12, during a public forum called to discuss the national budget.

The chaos began when armed men arrived on motorbikes and engaged in a confrontation with security personnel. They forced their way into the church, with some wearing face masks to hide their identity. During the attack, they lobbed tear gas canisters inside the church and fired live bullets, dispersing the congregation before damaging vehicles and breaking church windows.

“We just saw people entering the hall and started harassing us. We couldn’t determine what was going on immediately and before we could take refuge, we were attacked and robbed of phones and other valuables like cash,” one of the victims told TLC.

The public dialogue had been convened by civil society organizations to analyze Kenya’s 2026–2027 budget, which had recently been presented by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi. More than 100 people were affected, including representatives from the Kenya Human Rights Commission, Transparency International Kenya, and the Institute for Social Accountability.

The Anglican Church of Kenya has been a victim of thuggery and “goonism,” a term used by politicians to describe politically charged gang activity in the country, for the past year. Previously, on January 25, 2026, at the Witima ACK Church in Nyeri County in central Kenya, suspected goons disrupted a church service attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. The incident caused injuries and fueled mistrust among congregants.

The incident at the cathedral was decried by the nation’s religious leaders, including the Most Rev. Jackson Ole Sapit, the Archbishop of Kenya. Sapit called for justice, demanding the immediate arrest of the perpetrators and those who may have enabled them.

The primate also warned the Inspector General of Police and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), telling them to either apprehend the perpetrators or resign for failing to protect Kenyans against gangs.

“I want to condemn what happened at the Nairobi All Saints’ Cathedral with the strongest terms possible and demand the arrest of perpetrators; also, I want to tell the Inspector General of Police and his counterpart from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to either arrest the goons or resign,” Sapit said.

Speaking at All Saints’ Cathedral during a church service just two days after the attack, Sapit said he had been forced to withdraw from other engagements to address the matter, which he said is of national concern.

Sapit further recounted that CCTV footage clearly captured images of the attackers’ faces and showed their motorbike registration numbers, adding that he will not agree with the authorities if they claim they cannot identify the culprits.

Claiming that the issue of hired goons intimidating law-abiding Kenyans should not be taken lightly, Sapit told TLC that he demands to know “who owns the goons and why.”

No reason for the attack was given by the attackers, though one of them has revealed details of how the operation was planned, financed, and executed with plainclothes police officers.

Speaking to Citizen TV, the man narrated how he and others were recruited a day before the attack and told that they would disrupt a political meeting associated with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. But on Friday morning, the target changed and they were directed to All Saints’ Cathedral.

Two victims were compensated for phones that had been stolen in the attack when they went to report the incident at a local police station. They were paid about $200 and told to buy other phones and keep their mouths shut.

The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), the largest umbrella body for Protestant churches and Christian organizations in Kenya, condemned the attack in a statement published on social media, calling it a blatant and appalling disrespecting of a sacred place of worship. While the statement did not name who was responsible, the NCCK characterized the attack as “state sponsored” and ordered by a government official.

The statement added that the right of Kenyans to access information held by the state is guaranteed in Article 35 of the Constitution and must be respected. “We remind all government officials that in due course, they will be individually held responsible for their actions, just as the Bible guarantees in Matthew 10:26,” the statement reads.

“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known to the citizens of Kenya,” the NCCK concluded.

The Inter-Religious Council of Kenya said of the attack, “No amount of threats or thuggery will deter Kenyans from exercising their rights.” The council continued, “We call on security agencies to protect peaceful assemblies & bring perpetrators to justice.”

The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims has also come out to condemn the attack. The council in a statement described the incident as an unacceptable display of political intolerance and called for immediate action against those responsible.

Cabinet Secretary for Ministry of Interior and National Administration Kipchumba Murkomen called the incident extremely unfortunate and unacceptable, assuring Kenyans that peace-threatening gangs within the capital would be exterminated by use of elite police. Murkomen said elite police have succeeded in bringing peace in other cities across the country where peace-threatening gangs have been neutralized.

Murkomen said at least one person was arrested immediately when police arrived at the scene while others have been arrested since, adding that the images captured on CCTV are being analyzed.

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