Tension is rising in western Kenya after police warned that armed individuals may attend a political rally linked to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, deepening a dispute between authorities and opposition leaders over political freedoms and public safety.
The rally, planned for Saturday in Kakamega County, is part of a series of gatherings organized by a faction within the Orange Democratic Movement. But even before supporters could assemble, security officials raised the alarm.
Isaak Mahoud, the Western Regional Police Commander, said his office had not received formal notice of the event. Instead, he said, officers learned of it through online platforms.
“There are allegations that tomorrow we will have a rally led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna,” Mr Mahoud said on Friday evening. “That is what we got through social media.”
His concern went further. He said intelligence reports suggested that some individuals travelling to the rally could be armed.
“We are even told people who are coming from as far as Nairobi are armed with rifles,” he said, adding that police would act to maintain order. “We will not accept lawlessness here. Ours is to maintain peace.”
He said officers were on standby and could call in reinforcements, including air support, if the situation worsened.
The warning followed an incident on Friday morning, when a truck linked to Mr Sifuna’s allies was stoned at Kona Mbaya trading centre while heading to Kakamega. Videos shared by the senator appeared to show a disrupted convoy and damaged vehicles.
Mr Sifuna, however, pushed back against claims that authorities were in the dark. He said he had notified local police and shared details of the rally with senior officials, including Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.
According to the senator, the notice was sent directly and also circulated in official communication channels involving government officials.
The disagreement reflects deeper tensions between political leaders and security agencies, particularly as factions within the opposition seek to mobilise supporters across the country.
The Law Society of Kenya and civil society groups have previously stressed that peaceful assembly is protected under the Constitution, while police have consistently argued that advance notice allows them to secure events and prevent violence.
The Kakamega rally now sits at the centre of that uneasy balance, between the right to organize and the duty to keep public order.
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