Tension in Subukia as police block DCP leaders after church service
The group, led by DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala, had just concluded a church service at AIC Subukia when they were intercepted by a contingent of police officers.
A standoff unfolded in Subukia, Nakuru County, on Sunday, July 20, 2025, after police erected a roadblock to stop a convoy of Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leaders allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
The group, led by DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala, had just concluded a church service at AIC Subukia when they were intercepted by a contingent of police officers stationed along the road out of town.
A visibly irritated Malala and his team, which included Nyandarua Senator John Methu and Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo, confronted the officers, seeking clarification on the blockade.
In the exchange that followed, the police commander claimed the politicians had failed to notify local authorities about the public engagement they held in Subukia town sparking a heated debate over freedom of assembly and political discrimination.
Senator Methu insisted that all citizens, regardless of political affiliation, are entitled to equal treatment under the law.
The encounter quickly attracted attention from area residents who gathered around the scene as tensions simmered.
Earlier during the service at AIC Subukia, the leaders alleged that the church had been under pressure not to host them. Kajiado North MP Ngogoyo accused the government of interfering with religious gatherings, drawing comparisons between their experience and President Ruto’s attendance of a simultaneous service at another AIC church in Machakos.
“You are attending an AIC service in Machakos, and we are here at another AIC church. Let this AIC church not be disrupted simply because we are here. Freedom of worship is guaranteed in the Constitution,” Ngogoyo told the congregation.
Despite the challenges, the DCP maintained their schedule, with Malala, Methu, Ngogoyo, and a group of grassroots leaders joining worshippers for the Sunday service. In a post shared on the party’s X account, the DCP affirmed its commitment to grassroots engagement and constitutional freedoms.
“DCP National leaders led by Deputy Party Leader Sen. Cleophas Malala and Nyandarua Senator Methu attending church service at AIC Subukia and thereafter meet-the-people tours,” the party stated.
The incident is the latest flashpoint in mounting political tension as opposition figures accuse the Kenya Kwanza administration of silencing dissent and weaponizing state institutions.
