The political tension in Nyanza is reaching a boiling point—you can almost smell the burnt rubber and stale coffee when people talk about these things in the city. Siaya Governor James Orengo isn’t sitting quietly anymore. He’s fired off a stern letter to Nyanza Regional Police Commander Evelyn Gisiri, basically asking why the police are moving like they’re stuck in quicksand. It’s been over a week since Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi was cornered and attacked at a Kisumu cafe, and the frustration is palpable.
Orengo is particularly bothered by the fact that the main guy—the ringleader, someone known as Willis Akoth, or ‘Boi Akoth’ to the locals—is still walking around free as a bird. Misryoum records indicate the governor is pointing to clear CCTV footage that shows this guy coordinating the whole mess. Honestly, it feels like the police are looking the other way, or maybe they’re just overwhelmed, but it’s a bad look when the evidence is practically gift-wrapped for them.
There’s this recurring pattern of violence in the region that just won’t go away. We saw it at the airport, the Royal Swiss Hotel, and now this cafe incident. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations caught three people—Carlos Owiti, Vincent Odhiambo, and Eric Otieno—back in April, but since then? Nothing. The trail seems to have gone completely cold.
Then there is the elephant in the room: Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo. His name keeps popping up in these conversations, and Governor Orengo wants to know why. The governor is essentially saying, ‘Hey, why are there photos of the PS hanging out with these guys?’
Naturally, Omollo is having none of it. He’s calling the whole thing a smear campaign, claiming people have been trying to drag his name through the mud since last year. He says he doesn’t know anything about the attack on the Senator. Is it a political setup or just a desperate attempt to deflect? It’s hard to tell, honestly, and the truth seems to shift depending on who you talk to in the ODM circles these days.
It’s a messy situation. The Linda Mwananchi faction of the party is convinced the state is trying to muscle them out, using these incidents as a sort of shadow intimidation tactic. And while the arguments fly back and forth, the actual victims are left waiting for a justice that—well, let’s just say it feels like it’s being held up by a lot of red tape.