Police raise alarm on Sifuna-led rally in Kakamega, warn of individuals armed with guns
Western Regional Police Commander Isaak Mahoud.
Audio By Vocalize
A showdown looms in Kakamega County ahead of a planned rally by a faction of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) allied to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, after police raised security concerns and warned against any form of chaos.
Western Regional Police Commander Isaak Mahoud said authorities had not been formally notified about the rally slated for Saturday at Amalemba grounds, noting that information about the event had only been obtained through social media.
“There are allegations that tomorrow we will have a rally led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna. His faction and team want to make a rally at Amalemba, that is what we got through social media,” Mahoud said on Friday evening.
He emphasised that no official request for police assistance had been made to his office but assured that security would be provided if necessary.
“Nobody has come to my office requesting for assistance, but we will assist them as much as we can. Wherever there is a problem, we will provide security. Ours is to maintain peace,” he said.
The regional commander warned that police would not tolerate any breach of the law, stating that officers were prepared to use all lawful means to ensure order.
“We will use all force to maintain peace. We will not accept lawlessness here. We cannot accept our country to go to the dogs,” he said.
Mahoud further claimed that security agencies had received intelligence suggesting that some individuals planning to attend the rally could be armed.
“We have every kind of information. We are even told people who are coming from as far as Nairobi who are armed with rifles. That is what we have been told. That group who want to make a rally, they are armed, they said they don’t need the police,” he alleged.
He added that he had sufficient personnel to manage the situation and could request reinforcements if needed, including deployment by air.
“I have enough police officers. I’ve not yet asked for reinforcement. If I ask, they can even be brought in a chopper,” he said.
The remarks came after a truck allied to the Linda Mwananchi faction of ODM led by Sifuna, Babu Owino, James Orengo and others was stoned on its way to Kakamega for the Saturday rally scheduled for February 21.
According to videos shared by Sifuna, the truck was part of a convoy travelling to Kakamega County when it was attacked at the Kona Mbaya trading centre on Friday morning.
Sifuna had earlier warned against any disruption of the event, saying he had formally notified the Kakamega OCPD and shared a notice of the planned rally with Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen via WhatsApp.
He also stated that he circulated the same notice on the Senate WhatsApp group, in which Murkomen was still a member, to ensure relevant authorities were aware of the gathering.
Last Sunday, chaos erupted at a rally organised by the Sifuna-led team in Kitengela, with Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen claiming that security agencies had not been informed of the forum to provide security. Sifuna has since come out to dismiss Murkomen's remarks, maintaining that police had been duly notified of the rally.
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