NAIROBI,Kenya Aug 30 – Siaya Governor James Orengo has described the attack on his convoy in Migori as an assassination attempt, claiming his vehicle was sprayed with live bullets and later set ablaze as political tensions surrounding the Linda Mwananchi movement escalated in Nyanza.
Orengo made the allegations after chaos disrupted the movement’s rally in Migori on Saturday, August 29, with tear gas fired as he and other leaders addressed supporters. Footage from the incident showed the governor and his entourage hurriedly leaving the scene through a cloud of tear gas. A vehicle associated with the convoy was later torched in Awendo.
In a statement issued after the incident, Orengo thanked residents for turning up despite what he described as attempts to keep the movement out of Migori.
“They swore we’d never step foot in Migori. They failed,” he stated.
He then directly accused his attackers of attempting to kill him.
“To the cowards who sprayed live bullets into my car and torched it in Awendo to hide your crimes: your desperate violence only proves your fear,”Orengo said.
Orengo, who has emerged as one of the leading figures in the Linda Mwananchi political movement by declaring his presidential bid in 2027,said the attack would not force him to retreat from his political activities.
“You thought you eliminated me, but I am always steps ahead. You can’t burn down a movement, and you will never intimidate me.”
The governor did not identify the people he believes were behind the alleged attack.
The incident has renewed concerns over political violence in Nyanza, coming barely two weeks after the Linda Mwananchi movement’s activities in neighbouring Homa Bay County were marred by violence.
The Homa Bay incidents on August 16 involved road blockades, clashes, destruction of property and attacks on members of the media as the Linda Mwananchi team attempted to move through the county.
Several vehicles were vandalised and at least one vehicle was set ablaze, while the Seventh Day Adventist Church’s Lake Victoria Field headquarters was also attacked. Six vehicles were set on fire in Homa Bay Town, while property worth millions of shillings was destroyed.
Seventeen suspects were arrested following the violence, while several people, including journalists, were injured. Roads were blocked with stones and logs as rival groups confronted each other ahead of the movement’s planned engagements.
The violence also disrupted the movement’s planned activities in parts of the county, with the team unable to access some areas.
The Linda Mwananchi leadership subsequently demanded investigations into the violence, alleging that its rallies had been deliberately targeted.
At a press conference led by Orengo, the movement accused security agencies of failing to act despite alleged advance warnings of planned disruptions. The allegations have been disputed, and the circumstances surrounding the violence remain subject to investigation.
The Homa Bay clashes left the movement facing questions about whether political competition was increasingly taking a violent turn ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The events in Migori have now intensified those concerns.
Unlike the Homa Bay violence, where several vehicles and other property were damaged during clashes involving rival groups, Orengo has made a more serious allegation in the Migori incident that live ammunition was directed at his vehicle.
The governor’s account, however, will need to be established through investigations, including forensic examination of the vehicle and any ballistic evidence recovered from the scene.
The DCI and other security agencies are expected to establish what happened during the confrontation, who organised the attack and whether the reported shooting was connected to the political rally.
The attack also comes against the backdrop of heightened political mobilisation across the country, with Linda Mwananchi leaders seeking to build grassroots support ahead of the 2027 elections.
Political leaders have condemned the incident. Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro described the attack as “totally unacceptable”, while warning against the continued use of violence in political contests.
Orengo’s supporters have portrayed the Migori incident as an attempt to intimidate the movement, while critics are likely to demand a full investigation before responsibility is assigned.
