By Anderson Ojwang
Tragic. The Luo community is fast falling into a trap which pits brother against brother. Soon it will be a bloodbath in the region.
The politicians are already dancing on the graves of the vulnerable, hungry and deprived youths whom they have turned into political goons for deployment.
Kisumu is now the tower of goons. On Saturday, at the burial of Mzee Nyikal Okaka, father to Seme MP James Nyikal, it was a show of goon might and a tip of the iceberg of the looming cancer in the community – the goon world and anarchy.
Siaya Governor James Orengo had to be escorted out of the funeral after youths chanting “two terms” moved closer to him, creating a security scare.
The chaos briefly disrupted the funeral programme and forced the security officers to escort Orengo out of the venue to a safer exit.
Nyikal, the bereaved, lamented that the goons nearly killed his son at his father’s burial and was forced to ask Kisumu Senator Prof Tom Ojienda to go out and calm his goons.
“They nearly killed my son. I walked there to Senator Ojienda and asked him, ‘These people came with you. Can you tell them to stop?’ Senator, were you able to stop them?” he asked.
Nyikal said popularity is like love and cannot be bought with money, and wondered why fellow politicians walk to funerals in the company of goons.
“Let us be truly popular. Let us be able to walk to a funeral alone. I think popularity is like love. You cannot buy it with money. You may get it with money, but it will be lust,” he said.
Kisumu Women Representative Ruth Odinga said the intolerance – that Orengo was shouted at and had to be removed from the funeral – was unacceptable.
“What is this intolerance, that Orengo is shouted at and escorted out because he has a divergent view from those sitting there? What is the bigger picture?” she said.
Odinga wondered why the community was being divided and made to fight one another.
“As the Luo, why does it take another Luo leader to sponsor youths to remove another leader from a function?” she quipped.
Orengo, in a post on social media platforms, wrote: “Contrary to the misreporting by Citizen TV, we did not leave the venue because we were ‘chased.’ We departed because the presiding Bishop and Seme MP James Nyikal had already left to proceed with the burial of his father. Our sole purpose for attending was to offer our condolences and stand in solidarity with the family.”
Orengo said Linda Mwananchi remained unbowed by the political theatrics of the opponents.
“Remaining unbowed, we left the service and arrived safely at the airport to return to Nairobi. This travel is in preparation for the EALASCA Festival, which is scheduled to kick off in Mombasa on Monday, May 4th, 2026. I am proud to confirm that Siaya County will be participating in the upcoming events, and I will be joining them as the Patron of KICOSCA. The people of Kisumu are WANTAM, a spirit of hospitality and excellence that was clearly on display throughout the past weekend,” he wrote.
Ahead of last weekend’s Linda Mwananchi rally in Kisumu, threats of political violence were prominent, with Linda Ground lieutenants led by Alego MP Sam Atandi saying the group was not allowed in Kisumu.
Atandi wrote on his X handle: “No imposter will be allowed into Kisumu. Kisumu city must remain a peaceful city.”
He said Linda Mwananchi were not accepted in Kisumu and would not hold any rally in the lake city.
“I am telling you, they will not be accepted in Kisumu. There will be no rally in Kisumu,” he said.
But Embakasi East MP Babu Owino dismissed Atandi as a stranger in Kisumu politics who can only control village Siaya politics.
“Mweshimiwa Sam Atandi, you want to plan for Kisumu people. We know the people you are trying to use. Atandi, don’t bring trouble to Kisumu. You failed miserably,” he said.
The boda boda operators have been looped into the battle after the government operatives successfully brought them into their fold.
Internal Security Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo, in a move meant to woo them into the fold, directed the immediate release of all boda boda motorcycles impounded over petty offences, saying the move is meant to restore livelihoods for operators across the Nyanza region.
Omollo, who had a forum with boda boda leaders from Kisumu County’s seven constituencies, said the directive stems from President William Ruto and is already being implemented by the Nyanza Regional Police Commander.
“All motorbikes held on account of petty offences will be released. This directive is being effected to ease the burden on operators and restore their means of livelihood,” said Omollo.
The chairman of the Kisumu Boda Boda Association, Jacob Ochieng Ogango, ahead of the rally visited the Linda Mwananchi venue at Kowuor Ground and declared they do not want political violence in Kisumu.
“We are here at Kowuor Ground, and we fear there may be chaos. The one-term crusaders are known for evoking violence. We are in broad-based government and fully support President William Ruto. Kisumu is a no-go zone for one-term. We will not allow James Orengo and Babu Owino to hold a rally in Kisumu. One-term is not allowed in Kisumu. Kisumu is ODM, Kisumu is Ruto and Dr Oburu Oginga,” he said.
But the boda boda failed to stop the rally, and some of them are counting losses after their motorcycles were burnt.
Anglican Bishop Charles Onginjo warned the leaders against turning the community into a battleground and urged them to allow dissenting voices.
