NAIROBI, KENYA, Jun 16 – The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested three more suspects linked to the violent All Saints Cathedral attack, bringing the total number of suspects in custody to five as investigations into the coordinated invasion continue.
The suspects — George Omondi Otieno, Effenburg Wanyama Khisa, and Melvin Alumasa Bwani — were tracked and arrested in different locations across Nairobi in a joint operation involving DCI Kilimani and the DCI Nairobi Regional Office.
Detectives also recovered a red Boxer motorcycle (registration KMFH 161S), believed to have been used during the incident, alongside several mobile phones now undergoing forensic analysis.
The latest arrests bring the number of suspects in custody to five, following the earlier detention of two others linked to the raid.
The arrests come against the backdrop of growing concern over the nature of the June 12 incident, where CCTV footage showed a group of men arriving on motorcycles at around 9.39am before later storming the cathedral compound during a civic forum reviewing the Sh4.84 trillion national budget for FY2026/2027 unveiled on June 11.
The meeting had brought together lawyers, clergy, civil society actors, governance experts and members of the public in what organizers described as a constitutionally protected public policy discussion.
Security footage revealed a two-phase operation: an initial attempt to breach the venue was repelled by security officers, after which the attackers reportedly regrouped nearby before returning on foot and forcing their way into the cathedral compound.
Chaos ensued as participants fled for safety, with reports of harassment and robberies occurring both inside and outside the premises as security officers struggled to restore order.
Political links
The incident triggered controversy after one of the suspects claimed to have been sent by a government official.
Civil society groups including Transparency International Kenya warned the lack of clarity risks deepening public suspicion about accountability and possible political orchestration behind the attack.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) condemned the incident, warning that accountability must go beyond the individuals captured on CCTV.
LSK President Charles Kanjama said the society would pursue not only the attackers but also their alleged sponsors and facilitators.
“The effective way to address the growth of goonism… is to pursue accountability for the perpetrators and particularly their sponsors, accessories and principals, with bulldog tenacity, until they are held to account,” Kanjama said.
‘State-sponsored goons‘
The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) describeed the perpetrators as “state-sponsored goons” and called for the immediate arrest of any government official allegedly linked to the operation.
The council questioned the motive behind targeting a church-based civic dialogue.
“What is the government trying to stop the citizens of Kenya discussing and noticing in the 2026–2027 budget?”
Human rights and governance organizations, including the Institute for Social Accountability and the Kenya Human Rights Commission, warned that the incident reflects a worrying pattern of intimidation against civic forums and public participation spaces.
They noted such disruptions undermine constitutional freedoms and risk shrinking democratic space ahead of heightened political and fiscal debates.
Despite multiple arrests and widely circulated CCTV footage, several key questions remain unresolved including the financing and motive of the attack.
As investigations continue, pressure is mounting on the DCI to provide clarity on what appears to be one of the most coordinated disruptions of a public civic forum in recent years.
