Nyandarua Senator John Methu has accused police of unleashing live ammunition and teargas against him and fellow allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua during a standoff in Murang’a County on Sunday, July 27, 2025.

The confrontation occurred shortly after a church service at AIPCA Christ the King Church in Kahuro, Kigumo Constituency, where Senator Methu and other pro-Gachagua leaders had gathered.

Following the service, the group was set to hold a series of public rallies in the area but their convoy was stopped by police along a major road, sparking a tense exchange.

Footage circulating online shows the leaders appealing to a senior officer to be allowed through, before a teargas canister was hurled in their direction, forcing them to flee on foot.

Senator Methu later claimed that live bullets had been fired directly at his vehicle during the incident.

"Police officers who appeared to be acting on very clear instructions attacked us at Ngonda, Kigumo Constituency. They used live ammunition on my car, forcing us to escape on foot," Methu told reporters.

Photos from the scene showed one of the vehicles in Methu’s convoy visibly damaged. Unverified reports indicated that hired goons may have collaborated with police in executing the ambush, further stoking political tensions.

In a statement issued by Gachagua’s camp, the group accused the police and the alleged goons of coordinating the attack.

“The police, jointly with goons, blocked the leader’s convoy and began lobbing teargas and firing live bullets. They dispersed the crowd and harassed leaders, insisting no political gatherings were allowed in the area,” the statement read.

This marks the second consecutive weekend Senator Methu has reported interference by security forces.

Just a week prior, police blocked a rally by Gachagua’s supporters on the Nakuru-Nyahururu highway as they attempted to hold a meeting in Subukia.

The recurring clashes highlight intensifying fractures within the Kenya Kwanza coalition, with a growing chorus of dissenting voices accusing the government of silencing internal critics through force.