Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit condemned Friday’s invasion of churches, hotels, and public streets by goons. He demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible or the resignation of the Inspector General of Police.
Speaking at All Saints Cathedral, Sapit cancelled other engagements to address the issue, describing the events as a wake-up call for the nation.
“Goons have overrun our streets, hotels, and churches, and we ask: where are we as a people, country, and community?” he said. “Many never expected to witness what we witnessed on Friday.”
The Archbishop reaffirmed the Cathedral’s status as a sanctuary, noting its historical role in sheltering the vulnerable.
“This Cathedral sheltered mothers of political prisoners. It stood with those who were seeking justice when it was not popular,” he said. “This is a place of refuge, and this Cathedral will remain so.”
He stressed that church spaces belong to worship and reflection, adding that even budget review meetings held there shared that same spirit.
“We must stand against what is wrong. We condemn the invasion of churches and homes,” he stated.
Archbishop Sapit demanded that security authorities arrest and prosecute the goons. “We demand the arrest and prosecution of the goons. If not, the IG should resign because he has failed,” he said.
The chaos on Friday began at the entrance of All Saints Cathedral. Goons clashed with security guards, forced their way into the church grounds, and unleashed terror. The attackers then moved past the church building into the conference section, where a post-budget forum was taking place.
Police intervened to disperse the attackers, who had already destroyed conference materials and assaulted several attendees. Officers arrested one individual, who remains in custody.
The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) condemned the attack. The council questioned why a government official would allegedly send armed goons to disrupt a post-budget dialogue forum that registered civil society organisations had organised.
NCCK demanded that authorities immediately arrest and prosecute the government official who allegedly sponsored the goons. The council added that the state must respect Kenyans’ right to access information, as Article 35 of the Constitution guarantees.
The Defenders Coalition also voiced concern over persistent, coordinated attacks against civil society organisations, human rights defenders (HRDs), and human rights staff across the country.
The coalition added that these highly coordinated efforts aim to harass, intimidate, and silence civil society organisations as they carry out their lawful work.
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