Former Kigumo Member of Parliament Jamleck Kamau has alleged an assassination attempt during a political gathering in Murang’a County, claiming that gunfire aimed at his vehicle narrowly missed taking his life. Kamau testified before the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) on Monday, describing the July 27 incident at AIPCA Kahuro in Kamukabi, Kigumo Constituency, as a targeted attack rather than random violence.
“Two bullets struck my vehicle just inches from where I was seated,” Kamau told IPOA in an emotional testimony. “If the car hadn’t been moving, I would have been shot in the head.” He further revealed that he possesses video evidence implicating specific police officers and bodyguards allegedly connected to unnamed political figures from Murang’a.
Kamau emphasized that the event a public church service did not warrant any security alerts, dismissing any suggestion that the gathering posed a threat. “We were attending a public church service. There was no reason to inform the police,” he said. “I am not afraid of death. If they kill me, others will carry on the fight.”
Kamau was joined by other opposition leaders, including DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa, Naivasha MP Jane Kihara, and Murang’a Senator John Methu, in petitioning IPOA to launch an immediate and impartial investigation into what they describe as a growing pattern of politically motivated violence in the region.
The shooting incident follows a previous disruption of a political event associated with the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), whose leader is Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Police reportedly used teargas and blocked a political procession, igniting tensions in the area.
Eyewitnesses and video footage confirm that chaos broke out shortly after a church service at AIPCA Christ the King Church in Kahuro, where pro-Gachagua legislators had assembled for a scheduled tour.
Speaking from Baltimore, Maryland, during an official visit to the United States, Deputy President Gachagua strongly condemned the violence, calling it a threat to Kenya’s democratic values.
“This kind of intimidation has no place in a free society,” he stated. “We will not be silenced.”
