NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 14— At exactly 9.39am, a convoy of motorcycles pulled up outside All Saints Cathedral, one of Nairobi’s most prominent places of worship and a long-standing hub of civic engagement, in full view of cameras.What followed has triggered serious questions about political violence, state accountability, and the shrinking space for public participation in Kenya.CCTV footage obtained from the cathedral shows what appears to be a coordinated operation that disrupted a post-budget dialogue attended by lawyers, clergy, civil society activists, governance experts, and members of the public.The forum was convened to scrutinise the government’s Sh4.84 trillion budget, presented just a day earlier.Instead, participants were forced to flee for safety as groups of men stormed the cathedral compound.At the centre of the growing controversy is a critical question: who orchestrated the attack?CoordinatedSecurity footage reviewed after the incident suggests the disruption unfolded in two coordinated phases.The first group of attackers arrived on motorcycles and attempted to force entry into the cathedral shortly after the meeting began. Police officers stationed at the venue initially repelled them.However, rather than dispersing, the group allegedly moved to nearby streets along Valley Road and Kenyatta Avenue, where witnesses reported harassment and robberies as panic spread.Roughly 30 minutes later, the attackers returned—this time on foot.Footage shows them entering the compound and heading directly toward the conference venue where discussions on the national budget were ongoing.Their apparent familiarity with the timing and layout of the venue has fuelled speculation that the operation may have been pre-planned.Inside the building, chaos erupted as participants fled toward upper floors in search of safety.CCTV footage from the second floor shows some individuals being cornered and robbed while attempting to escape.One police officer is seen trying to intervene but appears overwhelmed by the unfolding violence. Gunshots were also heard outside as security forces attempted to restore order.The forum had brought together representatives from civil society, religious institutions, private sector actors, and citizens to interrogate whether the 2026/27 budget reflected public priorities.It was not a political rally, but a public policy dialogue—making the attack’s target all the more alarming.‘State-sponsored’The most explosive claim emerged after the incident.According to Transparency International Kenya, one suspect arrested at the scene allegedly told investigators that he had been sent by a government official.The organisation further stated that personal belongings, including mobile phones, were stolen during the chaos.Authorities have not publicly verified the claim, and no detailed breakdown of the investigation has been released, deepening public concern.Civil society groups warn that the lack of transparency risks fostering perceptions of protection for those behind the attack.Law Society of Kenya President Charles Kanjama condemned the incident, calling for accountability not only for the attackers but also for alleged financiers and organisers.He warned against what he termed the rise of “goonism” and insisted that responsibility must be traced “with bulldog tenacity” regardless of how high the chain of command goes.“The effective way to address the growth of goonism, whether by members of the National Police Service or irregular groups, is to pursue accountability for perpetrators and particularly their sponsors, accessories and principals, with bulldog tenacity, until they are held to account,” Kanjama said.The National Council of Churches of Kenya described the attackers as “state-sponsored goons,” strongly condemning the disruption of what it termed a sacred civic space.Condemned National Council of Churches of Kenya demanded the arrest and prosecution of a government official allegedly named by one of the suspects.The church body also raised pointed questions about the motive behind the attack:“What is the government trying to stop the citizens of Kenya discussing and noticing in the 2026–2027 budget?”Meanwhile, rights organisations including Kenya Human Rights Commission and The Institute for Social Accountability said the incident fits a worrying pattern of intimidation targeting civic spaces.They warned that the use of organised violence to disrupt public participation threatens constitutional freedoms and undermines democratic accountability.Unanswered questionsMore than 48 hours after the incident, key questions remain unresolved:Who planned and financed the operation?How were the attackers coordinated and deployed?Why was a church-based civic forum selected as a target?And why has there been no comprehensive police briefing despite CCTV evidence and at least one arrest?The answers, observers say, will determine whether the incident is treated as a routine criminal case or as evidence of a deeper and more organised attempt to suppress public scrutiny.