A coalition of activists has called for the arrest and prosecution of Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma for allegedly inciting Sunday’s violence during the Linda Mwananchi tour of the region.
In a statement issued on Monday, Kongamano La Mapinduzi (KLM) said sentiments made by the legislator on the eve of the Linda Mwananchi tour of the region on Sunday incited the violence that followed, leading to the loss of one life and various injuries to 46 others, as confirmed by the Homa Bay Teaching and Referral Hospital on Monday.
“Video footage circulating widely online shows Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament Peter Kaluma addressing a crowd of suspected goons, telling them that political opponents were “already here” and directing attention to hotels where visiting Linda Mwananchi leaders and their supporters might be staying. This was not a slip of the tongue. It was incitement, captured on camera, delivered by a sitting Member of Parliament; his prosecution must be swift and unambiguous, so that it serves as a warning to every political leader tempted to mobilise violence against opponents,” the movement said.
They added that hours after the MP’s sentiments, hired goons stormed Homa Bay Tourist Hotel, smashing windows, destroying property, looting rooms, and terrorising guests and staff as they hunted for Linda Mwananchi supporters.
“This was the direct, foreseeable, and now realised consequence of the incitement Kenyans had already seen,” they said.
Further, they accused security agencies of inaction as the violence unfolded, claiming that they were present and yet failed to prevent, or acted too slowly to prevent, this violence from unfolding as planned and pre-announced, which is itself an indictment of the state’s commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of all Kenyans, regardless of political affiliation.
“Kenyans first encountered these goons during the peaceful GenZ protests. Since then, politicians aligned with the government have repeatedly deployed hired militia to attack Kenyans, destroy property, and violently deny citizens the political freedoms guaranteed under the 2010 Constitution. Homa Bay is the latest, most brazen chapter in this pattern – and, with the 2027 General Election approaching, a warning of what is to come if it is allowed to stand unpunished,” they argued.
They labelled the alleged goons who blocked roads across Homa Bay with boulders, tree branches, and burning tyres, cutting off the county from the political leaders and journalists seeking to enter it lawfully, as private militia.
During the day, journalists were attacked, a Media Max vehicle was stoned and equipment stolen.
The group called for full compensation for journalists and other victims who suffered injury, theft, or property destruction, and guarantees of protection for media workers covering political events in Homa Bay and across the country.
Linda Mwananchi leaders said their convoy was stoned and its occupants injured as it attempted to enter the county, forcing them to seek alternative routes to Homa Bay town.
They also called for the arrest and prosecution of every individual who organised, financed, or paid the private militia responsible for the violence in Homa Bay, including those who armed, transported, and directed them.
