Leaders allied to the united opposition have accused the government of deploying security forces to bar them from attending a church service in Meru County, in what they described as a brazen violation of constitutional rights.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka claimed police officers physically blocked their entry into a Methodist church in Kaaga, where Deputy President Kithure Kindiki was attending the induction of Bishop David Mwiti of the Kaaga Synod.

Speaking at East Africa Pentecostal Church in Njotene parish, Mbuuri, Gachagua condemned the alleged deployment, saying security forces had no business policing places of worship.

“There is no need of using security officers to go to places of worship. They should instead go to guard our porous borders. Why are you sending police to intimidate people who are living peacefully here in Meru?” charged Gachagua.

He warned the administration that relying on force to manage dissent was a sign of political failure.

“If it means using police to rule the country, know that you have reached a dead end in your leadership,” added Gachagua.

He also took aim at the government over Nairobi’s drainage crisis, linking poor infrastructure to recent flood-related deaths.

“In Nairobi we are disappointed that we don’t have a drainage system which has claimed more than 10 people. Everything has broken down yet you say you want to take people to Singapore when you can’t fix simple things like drainage in the capital city,” noted Gachagua.

Musyoka described the alleged blockade as unconstitutional, citing Articles 32, 36 and 37 of Kenya’s Constitution, which guarantee freedom of religion, association and assembly.

“The united opposition was denied the opportunity to worship at the Methodist Church in Kaaga and witness the induction of the bishop. Police acting under instructions from the Deputy President physically blocked entry,” observed Musyoka.

He called the incident a deliberate act of political repression carried out in a house of worship.

“This is a deliberate and unconstitutional act carried out on a Sunday morning in the house of God against Kenyans exercising their basic rights,” declared Musyoka.

Musyoka urged the National Council of Churches of Kenya and the Law Society of Kenya to condemn what he termed the “weaponization of police against worshipping citizens.”

“We hold no grievance against the church or the clergy. Our dispute is with those who used political power to close the doors. If they close one door, God opens several others,” added Musyoka.