KEUMBU, Kisii County, Kenya — The once-bustling stretch of the Kisii-Keroka Road, where traders hawked avocados, sweet bananas, and fresh fruits to passing motorists, now lies eerily quiet.
What was a lifeline for dozens of small-scale vendors has become a casualty of Friday’s violent attack on a Linda Mwananchi political convoy an outburst of political fury that has left one man dead, vehicles damaged, and an entire local economy under siege.
On Friday evening, July 3, as the opposition-aligned Linda Mwananchi motorcade carrying leaders including former Chief Justice David Maraga traveled through Keumbu Market en route to a rally in Keroka, chaos erupted.
Armed youths, some wielding stones and clubs, pelted the convoy in a sustained assault captured on video and widely shared online. Supporters clinging to campaign vehicles were targeted.
One of them, Vincent Osiemo, popularly known as “Mapinduzi,” fell from a moving vehicle amid the panic and later died from his injuries. Scores of others were injured.
Police moved quickly. By Sunday, seven suspects had been arrested. The National Police Service also summoned Nyaribari Chache Member of Parliament Zaheer Jhanda to record a statement at the Kisii County Directorate of Criminal Investigations offices.
Yet for the traders of Keumbu, justice feels distant. Motorists and matatu drivers, heeding online boycott calls, now speed past the market. Perishable goods rot as families who had no role in the violence face mounting losses.
The attack has drawn sharp rebukes from prominent Kenyan leaders across the political spectrum, who warn it signals a dangerous slide toward lawlessness ahead of the 2027 elections.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga, whose vehicle was damaged, expressed condolences and demanded accountability: “First and foremost I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of the gentleman who died there… This was an act of hired goons… I want to condemn this act and demand that the CS Interior Kipchumba Murkomen resigns because he is in charge of internal security.”
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna condemned the violence as an assault on democratic space: “It is heartbreaking that we were attacked by goons together with the police at Keumbu Market.” He called for those responsible, including any security personnel involved, to face justice.
Jubilee Party Deputy Leader Fred Matiang’i raised the alarm over rising political violence: “The recent cases of armed youths attacking citizens at political rallies… are pushing the country into lawlessness. It will be impossible to tame the vice once it becomes ungovernable, and everyone will suffer the consequences.”
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Senator Boni Khalwale described the incident as state-sponsored, with Khalwale urging President William Ruto to arrest MP Zaheer Jhanda or stop rhetoric about fighting goons.
Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo and Bomachoge Borabu MP Obadiah Barongo, addressing the media in Nyamira, spoke of a “coordinated attack” and accused security agencies of complicity.
Barongo stated: “Young people should not be misused by politicians. We squarely blame the security forces… If they are not ready to protect us, we shall also repulse them.”
Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi vowed that hooliganism would no longer be tolerated in Gusii.
Nairobi Senator and Linda Mwananchi figure Edwin Sifuna (echoed in broader remarks) and other allies, including James Orengo, emphasized that political violence undermines Kenya’s democratic gains.
Additional condemnations came from local Gusii leaders and broader opposition voices, who described the events as “shameful” and a threat to peaceful elections, with calls for immediate arrests of perpetrators and sponsors.
Roadside vendors have appealed for an end to the boycott, stressing their innocence.
We bring you the latest news from the larger Gusii region and beyond.
