Karua demands IPOA investigation into alleged police assassination attempt on Senator Methu and opposition leaders

People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to urgently investigate what she described as a violent and targeted police assault on opposition leaders.

Speaking during a press briefing at Liberation House on Thursday, July 31, Karua alleged that the attack, which occurred on Saturday, July 27 in Murang’a County, was not just excessive but a deliberate attempt on the lives of several lawmakers allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

“Members of our team were targeted for assassination. The evidence is clear, from the bullet holes to shattered windshields. Their only ‘crime’ was exercising their freedom of expression and association,” said Karua.

She condemned the use of force by police and alleged that a militia was also involved. Karua confirmed that she had submitted the evidence to IPOA and demanded swift, impartial action.

“This was not an accident. It was a criminal assault. IPOA must treat this matter with the seriousness it demands. The unlawful attempt to take a human life, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or political affiliation, must be condemned without hesitation,” she added.

Nyandarua Senator John Methu, one of the key opposition figures present at the scene, echoed the claims of targeted violence. He recounted the events that unfolded in Kigumo Constituency, where he and other leaders were attending a church service.

“What we experienced was not ordinary policing, it was an attempted assassination. The damage to our vehicles, the level of force used, it was extreme and completely unjustified,” Methu said.

According to Methu, his convoy was destroyed by police action, pointing to escalating suppression of opposition voices since their impeachment in 2024.

Karua and her fellow leaders now want IPOA to hold those responsible accountable, starting from the officers involved to their superiors.

“The officer who led this attack must be held to account. The Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen must answer for this. We can’t allow criminal acts to be excused by claims of ‘orders from above’. Enough is enough,” Karua stated.

The opposition coalition maintains that this incident represents a broader pattern of state-sponsored intimidation aimed at stifling dissent and demands that it be brought to an end.