The Linda Mwananchi movement has accused state security agencies of allegedly coordinating violence and intimidation against its leaders and supporters during a political tour of Homa Bay County on Sunday.

In a strongly worded statement issued Monday, August 17, the movement described the incidents as a “coordinated, premeditated campaign of violence” rather than a spontaneous breakdown of law and order.

Linda Mwananchi alleged that its convoy encountered blocked roads, barricades and police roadblocks from the Kisumu-Homa Bay border through the Homa Bay-Migori and Migori-Kisii routes.

The movement further claimed that some police officers appeared to operate alongside groups of youths who allegedly attacked its supporters instead of protecting them.

The group made its most serious allegation by claiming that armed individuals positioned in bushes along the route fired at the convoy.

“This was not crowd chaos. It was an ambush!” the statement declared.

According to Linda Mwananchi, some of the individuals involved in the attacks were allegedly transported to Homa Bay from Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, Kisii and Nairobi with the intention of disrupting the tour.

The movement also claimed that its supporters apprehended a man in Nyandiwa who was travelling with alleged attackers in an unmarked black Toyota Prado. The man reportedly identified himself as an officer of the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Linda Mwananchi said the officer’s mobile phone was taken and that the device had subsequently received calls from people identifying themselves as senior police officers demanding its return.

The movement said it was treating the phone as potential evidence and would consult its legal team on the next steps, including possible engagement with independent oversight and investigative bodies.

Two Reported Dead

Linda Mwananchi said lives were lost during the violence, while several vehicles were reportedly burnt or extensively damaged.

The statement claimed that 18 people had been treated for injuries, with 12 initially evacuated to Kisumu for specialised medical attention. Seven had reportedly been discharged, two underwent surgery and one person underwent a leg amputation.

The movement further said two people had succumbed to their injuries.

Linda Mwananchi called for accountability, arguing that violence on such a scale could not occur without coordination, resources, knowledge of local routes and alleged political protection.

The group challenged Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, Mbita MP Peter Kaluma, Kwabwai Ward MCA Richard Ouma Ogindo and other county leaders whose names it said had emerged in connection with the incidents to publicly explain their roles or lack thereof.

“Silence will be read as complicity,” the movement said, demanding clear answers on whether the leaders knew about the violence and what actions they took to stop it.

Calls for Police and Intelligence Agencies to Explain

Linda Mwananchi also called on the Inspector General of Police, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Director General of the National Intelligence Service to explain the presence and conduct of their officers during the disturbances.

The movement accused security personnel of facilitating rather than preventing an alleged armed attack on citizens, while acknowledging officers in Nyandiwa and Sindo who, according to the statement, refused to participate in efforts to disrupt its rallies.

The group also praised medical facilities in Homa Bay and Kisumu for treating injured supporters and commended Millie Odhiambo and former Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga for publicly condemning the violence.

The movement said journalists who continued reporting despite allegedly being targeted during the unrest had demonstrated courage in documenting the events.

Linda Mwananchi maintained that the incidents would not stop its political activities, insisting that its supporters would continue exercising their constitutional rights.

The movement said it would pursue accountability through the courts and other lawful institutions, warning that individuals captured on camera participating in the violence would be pursued through due process.

The statement ended with a direct message to its supporters and political opponents: “Linda Mwananchi will not be silenced.”