The violence that disrupted a Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay on August 16 could have been avoided had organisers heeded security advice to call off the event, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said.
Speaking during the NCIC launch of the ‘Roadmap to a Peaceful General Election 2027’ campaign on Tuesday, Murkomen said county and regional security teams had advised the organisers to abandon the Homa Bay town rally as darkness fell and tensions rose.
The leaders, he said, insisted on proceeding despite the warnings, leading to the death of a police officer, injuries and destruction of property.
“Do you want to say that police had to be there by all means, even in darkness?” he asked, insisting political leaders have a responsibility to heed security warnings and protect their supporters.
Murkomen said police had escorted the Linda Mwananchi campaigners during rallies in Sindo and Nyandiwa before the team headed to Homa Bay town at about 6pm.
According to the CS, county and regional security teams advised the leaders to call off the final rally because it was getting dark and there were already signs of violence.
“What happened? One police officer died. Four of them were injured, cars were burned, and so forth,” Murkomen said.
He argued that the right to hold political rallies comes with a responsibility to work with security agencies.
“We advise the people who organize rallies that we have rights to have rallies and political rights, but we have responsibility to work with the security team to ensure that we protect our people,” he said.
The August 16 violence left two people dead, including a police officer and dozens injured. Vehicles were also torched and journalists attacked while covering the clashes.
Murkomen said the incident demonstrated the importance of acting on early security warnings rather than responding after violence has occurred.
“There will be times that the citizens will be told enough is enough. Let's go home,” he said, adding that security advice was based on intelligence and assessments of the situation on the ground.
His comments come amid growing political pressure over the Homa Bay August 16 violence. Linda Mwananchi leaders had accused security agencies of failing to protect their supporters, calling for the resignation of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja.