By Anderson Ojwang

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has put the county government of Homa Bay County on the spot over interference in political activities in Kasipul Constituency and subsequent use of public resources and involvement of public officers in political campaigns.

And IEBC also blamed the escalating political violence in the constituency on ODM candidate Boyd Were and Philip Aroko, an independent candidate, and fined them Sh 1M each.

“Upon keenly listening to the parties and considering all the facts and law, it is the Committee’s finding that the two candidates in this matter are responsible for the violence witnessed in Kasipul Constituency.
In the context of both oral and written submission of the parties, the Committee finds that both candidates are in violation of paragraphs 6 (a) (b) (c) (e) (i) (k) (m) and (n) of the Electoral Code of Conduct,” read the statement.

Similarly, IEBC warned should any re-occurrence of violence in the constituency during the campaigns, the candidates risk disqualification.

“A most stern warning be and is hereby issued to both Candidates that should any violation of the Electoral Code be repeated by any of them, this Committee will consider all penalties under the law, including their DISQUALIFICATION from participating in the November 27th by-elections altogether,” read the statement.

The Committee also said investigations had revealed engagement of the county government, civil servants and use of public resources in the campaigns.

“This Committee is seized of intelligence reports corroborating the allegations of interference by the Homa Bay County Government in political activities within Kasipul Constituency.
The Committee condemns the use of public resources and involvement of public officers in political campaigns as this is in contravention of section 14 of the Election Offences Act, Cap 66,” read the press statement signed by all the commissioners.

The Committee also fined the two candidates Sh 1M each which must be paid within 48 hours.

“Mr. Philip Aroko, for the violation, is hereby condemned to pay a fine of Sh.1,000,000 to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission within 48hrs of these Orders.
Mr. Boyd Were Ong’ondo is condemned, similarly, for the violation, to pay a fine of Kenya Shillings One Million (Ksh.1,000,000,) to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission within 48hrs of these Orders,” read the statement.

The Committee was also appalled by the gravity of violence, deaths and damage to property caused by campaign-related activities within Kasipul Constituency.

“Astonishingly, when police officers attempted to arrest suspects in relation to the violence witnessed on 6th November 2025, the officers were attacked and the suspects freed by persons associated with one of the candidates,” read the statement.

The Committee said the candidates must ensure peaceful campaigns to allow the electoral process to remain a democratic space where all individuals can freely express their views and support candidates of their choice without fear of violence, harm, or loss of property.

“Respect for the sanctity of life demands that every leader takes responsibility in guiding their supporters to uphold peace and protect the rights of others.”

The candidates were expected to sign the Political Decency Charter publicly and declare, publicly before media, to uphold peace and tolerance in their campaigns, with a clear undertaking that reneging from it would amount to a violation of the Electoral Code of Conduct.

“A stern and a formal warning be and is hereby issued to Mr. Philip Aroko who is an independent candidate and Boyd Were in the upcoming by-elections for Kasipul Constituency to respect and obey IEBC’s harmonised campaign schedule as agreed upon by all candidates on 10th October, 2025 without any deviation whatsoever,” read the statement.

By James Okoth

The Kenyan government has enacted the Private Security (General) Regulations, 2025, under the Private Security Regulation Act, Cap. 207, to strengthen oversight, accountability and professionalism within the private security sector. The regulations, issued by the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, set out detailed requirements for registration, licensing, employment, training and operations of private security service providers.

Under the new regulations, individual and corporate private security providers must register with the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) and obtain valid licences. Applications require proof of identity, compliance with tax obligations, insurance coverage including WIBA and public liability, police clearance certificates, audited financial accounts and a full inventory of uniforms, equipment and vehicles. Registrants are required to pay prescribed registration and annual fees, with penalties for late renewal.

Employment and training standards are rigorously defined. Private security firms must vet employees, verify their training and employment history and ensure all personnel undergo mandatory annual security training. Officers are required to wear legibly marked nameplates and uniforms, which must comply with specifications including distinctive badges, headgear and heavy-duty belts. Firms must also provide necessary safety gear such as reflective vests, flashlights and defence equipment.

The regulations prescribe approved tools and equipment, including CCTV systems, alarms, patrol vehicles, armoured cash transit vehicles and specialised devices for locks and keys, with mandatory annual calibration and inspection by the Authority. Branding of vehicles, equipment and premises is strictly controlled to prevent misuse of law enforcement identifiers.

By establishing these standards, the government aims to professionalise the private security industry, enhance public safety and ensure accountability. The regulations also provide for community safeguards, including vetting prospective employees and ensuring separate resources for firms engaged in other businesses.

The Private Security (General) Regulations, 2025, mark a significant step towards regulating a sector that plays a critical role in national security, balancing operational flexibility with legal and ethical oversight.

By James Okoth

They came not as politicians, not as diplomats, but as brothers.
Sixteen elders from the Lamogi Chiefdom of northern Uganda crossed into Kenya this November, carrying with them ancient symbols of unity: a royal spear, a whip of truth, a gourd of blessing and a winnowing tray as gifts not of gold, but of kinship.

Their mission was sacred, to pay homage to Raila Amolo Odinga, the son of East Africa whose life, like the River Nile that binds their lands, flowed beyond political boundaries into the deep waters of shared ancestry and cultural unity.

The Journey of the Lamogi

Led by Rwot Otinga Atuka Ottoyai II, the Lamogi delegation travelled from Amuru District in northern Uganda to Bondo, Siaya County, where the Odinga family was observing the post-burial cultural rites for the departed statesman.
In their tradition, chiefs do not attend immediate funerals; the spirit must first rest. Their visit, a month after Raila’s passing, was therefore a gesture steeped in custom, reverence and historical continuity.

At Kang’o ka Jaramogi, they were received with dance and tears, not of mourning, but of reunion. The elders spoke of bloodlines that predate borders, of migrations that birthed both the Luo of Kenya and the Lamogi of Uganda, and of a shared identity that Raila had long championed through his Pan-African ideals and his unwavering call for unity beyond tribe and territory.

The Man Who Dreamed Beyond Nations

Raila Odinga’s politics were often read in the language of power, but his philosophy was always one of peoplehood.
He spoke of a continent that must remember itself — that Africa’s strength lay not in the flags that divided it, but in the cultures that connected it.

For the Luo, the Lamogi, the Acholi and many other Nilotic communities scattered across the East African plain, Raila embodied the spirit of a cultural custodian, a modern-day elder who understood that identity is both political and spiritual.

When the Lamogi delegation laid their gifts before his resting place, they were not only honouring a leader; they were affirming the oneness of a people fractured by colonial lines but bound by language, rhythm and memory.

Symbols That Speak Across Time

Each item the Lamogi elders brought carried meaning older than nations:

The Spear (Tong) represents defence, courage and continuity of lineage.

The Whip (Odo Wino) reminds that truth must always lead power.

The Gourd (Abiya) is the vessel of life and blessing, signifying abundance and renewal.

The Winnowing Tray (Ayang) symbolises the wisdom to separate good from evil, integrity from corruption.

In offering these to the Odinga family, the elders were, in essence, returning what Raila himself had stood for: justice, truth, resilience and the renewal of a people’s dignity.

A Legacy Beyond Borders

The Lamogi visit is not merely ceremonial but cultural diplomacy in its purest form and a conversation between the living and the departed, between Uganda and Kenya, between the past and the future.

It reminds East Africa that before there was a border, there was belonging. Before there were nations, there were narratives of families that fished from the same river, danced to the same drums and mourned their dead under the same moon.

Raila Odinga, through his vision of integration and unity, lived out this truth. He saw the East African Community not as a bureaucratic bloc, but as a return to an older wholeness where shared heritage became the foundation of shared progress.

The Spirit of Return

As the Lamogi delegation departed Bondo, the air was thick with a sense of closure and renewal.
One elder was heard saying, “We came to mourn, but we found our own reflection.”

In that statement lies the profound cultural significance of the visit: it was not just about Raila’s death, but about the reawakening of East Africa’s ancestral conscience.

The Lamogi visit stands as a timeless reminder that borders may divide land, but they can never divide lineage and in that truth, Raila’s spirit, and the spirit of the Lamogi, continues to live on.

By Anderson Ojwang

Mbeere North constituency offers Kenya a taste and a glimpse of the battle of the deputies and a possible battle for the vote-rich Mt Kenya region in the 2027 general elections.

For five years, the two senior leaders from Mt Kenya have been sparring and finally, Mbeere North has provided the ring for the leaders to sort out their age-long difference.

In what was billed as the first contest between the two leaders, it ended prematurely when the referee William Ruto called off the match and instead annulled the initial results.

Ruto, then Deputy President and UDA presidential candidate for the 2022 presidential election, had invited then Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua and Tharaka Nithi Senator Prof Abraham Kindiki Kithure to a duel for his deputy.

In this contest, a stalemate that lasted over 17 hours was characterised by failed consensus-building, with the opinion polls that favoured Kindiki.
Ruto and his team resorted to opinion polls conducted internally to unlock the stalemate. The first poll, conducted internally by a strategy and research team headed by Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, involved 10,000 respondents drawn from 10 Mt Kenya counties. In that poll, Kindiki trounced Gachagua, with Governor Anne Waiguru coming in third.
In the second survey, conducted nationwide in the 47 counties, and involving 25,000 respondents, Kindiki yet again emerged top, with Waiguru and Gachagua second and third respectively.

The final vote involved the Central Kenya UDA MPs, who were called in for a vote. Senator Kindiki once again trounced Gachagua.

Out of the 31 Mt Kenya UDA MPs present, 22 voted in favour of Kindiki, 5 voted for Gachagua, two backed Waiguru, while Muturi obtained one vote, with one rejected vote.

The referee was left with no alternative but to annul the results and instead awarded the mantle to Gachagua, who was later impeached by Parliament and Senate.

And now the Mbeere North by-election is the battleground. On one corner of the ring is Gachagua, the second Deputy President, representing the United Opposition, and the self-declared leader of Mt Kenya.

On the other side of the ring is the successor, the soft-spoken Kindiki, the third and the sitting Deputy President and the captain of the UDA team in the by-election.

And Kenya, for the first time, is witnessing the battle of deputies — bitter rivals with no love lost between them — who have a date with the IEBC.

Over the weekend, Rigathi stormed Mbeere North in a military-fashioned strategy of scorched earth policy, a door-to-door campaign and visiting every home.

In his morning walks, Gachagua is deploying the strategy of scorched earth policy, which is often handy in disabling the enemy and gaining advantage over opponents.

It is a military strategy of destroying or devastating anything of value in a territory before retreating to deny its use to an advancing enemy.

In business, the term, the strategy, is also used in business to describe actions taken to make a company unattractive to a potential hostile takeover, though this can be self-damaging.

But the Professor is also not taking Gachagua’s tactic lying low and he is also employing the same strategy, making the battle fierce and stormy.

Kindiki, while on a campaign trail for UDA candidate Leonard Wamuthende, enjoys moments taking tea with the residents, catching up and sharing experience as he woos them to vote for the UDA candidate.

In his X handle, Kindiki wrote “Karambari, Mbeere North Constituency. The people of Mbeere North constituency want unity, development and progress, not chaos, empty political rhetoric and disrespect.
Interacted with residents of Karambari, updated them on status of implementation of ongoing development projects in the constituency and urged them to vote Leo Wamuthende on November 27th.”

Gachagua has pitched tent in Mbeere in a revenge battle and is supporting the DP candidate Newton Karish.

He wrote in his X handle “The villagers in Mbeere North are awake and hardworking. They are hardworking and are looking forward to the 27th November vote for Newton Karish. I am with the villagers every step of the way, one by one, home by home, village by village in a motif to liberate one nation, Kenya.
I had interactive experience in my morning walk on a vote drive for my favourite candidate Newton Karish who is a people-centred candidate. Change is in Mbeere North.”

Interestingly, the two candidates are former colleagues at the County Assembly of Embu and have been dominant figures in their respective wards.

Karish is a respected Benga artist in the community whose music is loved by the residents and is credited for nurturing the talent of several upcoming artists from the region.

Kindiki is not leaving anything to chance and he must deny Gachagua the last laugh to avoid undermining President Ruto’s prominence in the region in the 2027 elections.

While Gachagua must prove himself as the leader of the mountain and avenge the initial humiliation by the Professor.

Whichever way the election goes, it will not be without premium tears and major political setbacks ahead of the 2027 general elections.

By Erick Otieno

A major transformation in sports infrastructure is underway across the Nyanza Region, where the national government has launched an ambitious drive to modernize sporting facilities. The construction of the new Migori Stadium, which began in July 2025, marks a significant step toward resolving the long-standing shortage of standard arenas for a region widely known for its abundant talent.

According to progress updates shared on his official social media pages by Dr. Raymond Omollo, Principal Secretary for Internal Security, the 10,000-seater Migori Stadium is steadily taking shape. Construction teams are currently advancing work on the northern, eastern, and VIP wing structures, while terraces are being developed and red soil has been laid on the football pitch in preparation for turfing. Once complete, the facility will feature a standard football pitch, athletics track, and VIP pavilion, making it suitable for both local and national sporting events.

In his update, Dr. Omollo underscored the broader government effort to uplift sports infrastructure across Nyanza.
“For years, Nyanza’s rich sporting talent has lacked proper facilities. This project is part of President William Samoei Ruto’s deliberate plan to change that by investing in modern infrastructure that supports our youth and promotes regional growth,” he stated.

Dr. Omollo also highlighted that similar developments are underway in neighbouring counties, with modern stadiums already constructed in Homa Bay and Siaya, further strengthening the region’s sports revival and ensuring athletes across Nyanza have access to quality training and competition venues.

The progress of the Migori Stadium has also been made possible through the close working relationship between Migori County Governor Dr. George Mbogo Ochilo Ayacko and the national government. This cordial partnership has eased and facilitated various developments currently being witnessed within the county. In the case of the stadium, the County Government of Migori provided the land, enabling the national government to commence construction seamlessly. The collaboration stands as a clear demonstration of how intergovernmental cooperation can accelerate development for the benefit of citizens.

Beyond infrastructure, the Migori project has become an important economic driver for the local community. More than 207 workers, the majority being youth and women, have been engaged at the site, earning income and gaining valuable construction skills.

As progress continues, the Migori Stadium stands out as a strong symbol of the government’s commitment and strengthened county–national cooperation to nurturing talent and fostering inclusive regional growth.

OPEN LETTER TO
His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua,
2nd Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya.

Dear Excellency,
Re: Many Congratulations and Greetings from Bondo.

May it please your Excellency to know that my name is Richard Otieno and I come from Bondo, and my wife happens to be a beautiful Kikuyu lady from Nyeri with whom I have two now grown-up sons. One of them actually has a Kikuyu name in tribute to his grandfather in Nyeri.

My first congratulations are due because of your bold decision that you will soon be going to Bondo to pay respects to my fallen relative Raila Odinga and to condole with the family of Jaramogi. Your visit will be very significant and in keeping with a tradition set by two other great leaders from Nyeri. The Late JM Kariuki from Nyeri was the highest-ranking member of the Kikuyu community to attend the burial of Tom Mboya after his assassination by Isaac Njenga Njoroge in 1969, on what is now Tom Mboya Street.

Another great Nyerian also came and mourned the murdered Robert Ouko in Koru in 1991. The bereaved have giant eyes to see those who come to mourn with them and a lifetime memory that you attended.

So welcome to Bondo. Confirm the day of coming early so that I can also attend the coming of my Muthoniwa. You see, it is not only the Maasais who are your Muthoniwas. By the way, Raila Odinga Junior’s wife is from Murang’a and we paid dowry, so he is another athoniwa, and there are children out of that union.
You cannot stop us from being your relatives, can you? Besides, there is our shared humanity in the eyes of the Almighty God — the issue of “cousins” notwithstanding. In case this is not true, please check with our beloved Pastor Dorcas.

My second congratulations are to Pastor Dorcas on her ordination as a Bishop. Apart from her intercessory prayers having propelled you to the second-highest office in the land, I may be forgiven for speculating that her prayers may also have precipitated your decision to forgive and forget your altercations with the late PM Raila. You called him Mchawi and Murogi. He later responded in kind by calling you Gachietha, which I am sure you soon learned means “a piece of shit.”

Nothing really to make you feel guilty because President Ruto enriched your adjectives with words like Mtu wa Kitendawili, including throwing the whole Luo community and children into the mix as “wale watu wa kung’oa reli.”

President Kenyatta called Raila Mugoroki before he became his brother after the handshake in 2018.

My third and probably controversial congratulations are for the way you succeeded in causing the formation of the so-called broad-based government and its other derivatives like bread-based or blood-based government. If you had not preached the politics of “shareholding and kuweka mtego kila pahali State House,” there is no way President Ruto would have marshalled Raila and ODM support in Parliament to impeach you.

As a truthful man, I urge you to acknowledge this truth. To quote one of your recent statements, it was nothing personal — just politics. The same principle obtains when you pleaded with President Ruto to let you deal with Raila personally and permanently consign him to Bondo in the wake of the Maandamano of 2023, where some 77 Luo Gen Zs were killed. As Deputy President, you were Deputy Baba wa Taifa. Even if you wanted to discriminate against some of your Kenyan children, you should not have been truthful about it. Being truthful is not always a good thing. Ask Pastor Dorcas. Even Apostle Peter had to lie about knowing Jesus. Had he not lied three times, he would have been executed on the same day with Jesus.

Your Excellency Riggy G, now Raila is permanently in Bondo, and it is extremely gracious of you that you go to solemnly witness his final resting place. I am sure this is not what you meant when you said you would send him to Bondo.

I believe that the people of Bondo and the Luos — especially the Christians who know about the healing power of forgiveness — will embrace you and welcome you. Please bring along my sister Pastor Dorcas. Forget about this running with cows and shouting Jowi. Many of my generation who also grew up in Nairobi do not understand this spectacle. Please spare Pastor Dorcas the ritual of running with the spear.

Finally, your Excellency, if I was ever to meet you personally, I would engage you in more robust discussion about our country. Like, is there any way by which current leaders like you could inspire our Gen Z children to walk away from the shadow of tribal hate that has defined our country for the last 60 years?

This hate between the Kikuyus and the Luos can burn this country. But at your high pedestal as DP, I can only dream of such an encounter.

I was made to believe that you, like the late Charles Njonjo, had sworn that you do not shake the hand of Luos like me because of frequent outbreaks of cholera in Kisumu. And that you ensured any Luo civil servant who worked at the office of the DP when you were there was transferred, and none has ever been returned. I believe that is just a negative rumour. But Luos still remember what Njonjo said about them and how he made them feel. The spoken word — especially from a leader — can be powerful and endure for generations. May the soul of Njonjo rest in peace.

As a person with Kikuyu family members, I know how many Kikuyus feel about Raila. But I will not go into that now.

More than 1.2 million still voted for him despite your skilful and shrewd campaign that invoked and exploited ethnic fault lines to deliver the presidency to Ruto, albeit narrowly. President Ruto is your creation, and to your credit as a truthful man you have not denied this fact. I like you for that.

Let me just ask you this last question that stems from your recent advice to the GEMA people this week in the run-up to the Mbeere by-elections, premised on the Kikuyu saying: “You do not bury an elephant with its tusks.” That would be extremely stupid and against Kikuyu culture,” you said. You remove the tusks and then you bury the useless carcass.

It is obvious that Mutahi Kagwe did not drive past Githurai with his flag as a CS. By the way, when is the last time you heard anything said by Lee Kinyanjui or CS Wahome supporting anything in the Ruto government? Is it a reasonable conclusion that the seven GEMA members of the Cabinet have taken your advice and that they are quietly extracting the tusks from the elephant, as you correctly advised? Why don’t you want the Luo “experts” to do the same? Or do you prefer them to remain “extremely stupid”? Forgive them though for their lack of table manners. They are shouting too much with their mouths full and “vomiting on our shoes.” They are non-shareholders invited to the high table. What do you expect them to do but sing the praise songs very loudly?

To my Gen Z children it was the low of low spectacle witnessing the second Deputy President of the Republic and the second Prime Minister of the Republic engaged is such machanguano like 11 year old boys with one telling the other that my mother is more beautiful than your mother. The 12 year old kids are too mature than that because by that age they are studying for exams.

As to whether ODM and, by extension, the Luos will be working with UDA and Ruto in 2027, I can only refer to Raila’s last speech: “WHO TOLD YOU?”

CC: Pastor Dorcas Rigathi