Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has placed Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on the spot, accusing him and his security team of failing to protect Kenyans during Thursday’s by-elections, which were characterized by chaos in many parts of the country.
Sifuna said the violence witnessed in Malava, Kabuchai, Kasipul, and other polling areas turned the day into “one of the bloodiest election days in recent years,” despite public assurances by the Interior Ministry that the polls would be peaceful.
A day before the vote, held across 22 electoral areas, CS Murkomen had announced that security officers had been deployed to ensure calm and protect the integrity of the by-elections. He called on Kenyans to have confidence in the security arrangements, adding that every measure had been taken to ensure a free and fair process.
But Sifuna insists those assurances fell flat.
In Malava, a Toyota Prado belonging to a candidate’s convoy was reportedly torched in Manyonje at dawn by unidentified attackers believed to be out to intimidate voters. In a related confrontation at a nearby hotel where campaign agents had gathered, two people were injured. Later, the police arrested five suspects.
Local IEBC officials said the tensions affected turnout, with some stations recording a notable drop in the number of voters.
There was a morning stampede in Kabuchai after a mob attacked Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, who was accompanying an MCA candidate. This momentarily disrupted the polling exercise before officers restored order.
Kasipul and other wards similarly reported pockets of violence that forced police to increase deployments throughout the day.
Sifuna, in a statement shared online, termed the unrest as unacceptable and pointed to “either serious incompetence in the security command or their direct involvement.”
He demanded that Murkomen takes responsibility and answers for the failures, saying Kenyans deserved a secure environment to exercise their democratic rights.
