Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has accused the government of using a little-known police unit to intimidate and target people critical of President William Ruto’s administration.
Speaking during an interview with NTV on Monday, August 10, Kalonzo claimed the Operation Support Unit (OSU) had been involved in harassing opposition supporters and was allegedly working alongside militias and goons.
Kalonzo said the unit had increasingly been used against political opponents, particularly those who have remained vocal in their criticism of the government.
“I have to tell you something. Did you know there’s a police unit called OSU, the Operation Support Unit, a unit that is working with the goons, the militias, to terrorise political opponents,” he said.
The former Vice President went further to compare the alleged conduct of the unit to that of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that has been accused of serious human rights abuses during the conflict in Sudan.
Kalonzo claimed some officers linked to the unit had been armed and deployed to deal with government critics in different parts of the country.
He also gave a personal account, saying he had sheltered a nominated Makueni County Assembly member at his home after police officers linked to OSU allegedly went looking for him.
The MCA, Urbanus Wambua, popularly known as Kanzala Kana, was arrested on August 6 after police began investigating a video that had circulated widely on social media.
The video allegedly contained inflammatory remarks targeting politicians allied to President Ruto, prompting condemnation and a police investigation over possible hate speech.
Wambua was subsequently held at Muthaiga Police Station before his release following intervention by Kalonzo. He is now reported to be at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters with his lawyers.
Kalonzo used the incident to renew his call for the disbandment of OSU, arguing that its alleged activities posed a danger to the country’s political stability.
He called on Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to take action against the unit.
“I can tell you for a fact, because I’ve been in government, and I want to encourage the Inspector General of Police to disband that thing very quickly,” Kalonzo said.
The allegations come amid heightened political tensions and renewed debate over the conduct of security agencies in dealing with political dissent and public criticism.
Kalonzo did not provide evidence during the interview to support his claim that OSU was working with militias. The allegations also come as police continue to face scrutiny over how they handle protests, political activities and cases involving controversial remarks.
