People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua has confirmed that detailed evidence of a violent crackdown against opposition leaders in Murang’a County has been submitted to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) for investigation. The submission follows an incident on Sunday, July 27, where opposition leaders, including Nyandarua Senator John Methu and Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara, were reportedly assaulted by police and unidentified civilians while attempting to hold public meetings after attending a church service in Kahuro, Kigumo Constituency.
People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua, addressing journalists in Nairobi on Thursday, said the documented evidence includes injuries, video footage, and witness accounts of excessive force. “We have handed over irrefutable evidence to IPOA regarding the assault and attempted assassination of our leaders,” she said. “The Inspector General of Police and Interior Cabinet Secretary must be held to account. They cannot escape responsibility for what their officers did under their watch.”
People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua said the opposition would not remain silent in the face of what she described as systematic state violence. “We are saying enough is enough. The President is an employee of the people Ruto cannot tell his employers, the sovereign citizens, that ‘enough is enough’ while state agencies are attacking them,” Karua added.
People’s Liberation Party leader Karua condemned what she called the emergence of political militias acting under the guise of peace enforcement. “You don’t protect peace by creating private armies. That is how nations fall apart,” she stated.
Video footage shared widely online shows police blocking opposition leaders from accessing public venues, followed by the firing of tear gas canisters. Senator Methu claimed his vehicle was shot at with live bullets.
Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara described the ordeal as traumatic. Her bodyguard suffered a serious head injury and was rushed to the hospital. “I had to take him to the hospital myself. He was hit by a stone, and I paid his bill just before I got here,” she said during an interview on the same day.
People’s Liberation Party leader, Martha Karua also claimed former MP Munyaka and his driver were injured and hospitalized. Kihara accused a local individual, identified as a “mukurino,” of coordinating the attack and claimed phone records tied the violence to a senior Murang’a politician. “The car that was behind mine was the one hit. I was lucky mine wasn’t targeted,” she said.
IPOA has yet to issue a formal statement on the matter. However, the authority is mandated by law to investigate complaints against police officers and can recommend criminal charges or disciplinary action.
The opposition is now demanding that IPOA take swift action, warning that failure to address police violence would escalate political tension. “This is about the safety and rights of every Kenyan,” PLP leader Karua said. “We will not stop until justice is served.”
About the Author
