NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 22 — Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has warned that the government will not allow individuals he described as “seeking cheap publicity” to misuse young people by inciting them to take to the streets, amid rising political tensions following the disruption of opposition rallies.
Speaking on Sunday, Omollo said the government remains firm on maintaining law and order and will not tolerate attempts to provoke unrest under the guise of youthful activism.
“And we will not allow anyone else, even those who are engaged in youthful misadventure, who are trying to misuse our young people to take them to the streets to fight because of misadventures that will lead them nowhere,” Omollo said.
“Those who are seeking cheap publicity, we will not allow you. And we will also not allow you to play reverse psychology on us.”
His remarks come as the government faces mounting criticism over the alleged involvement of security agencies in disrupting anti-government rallies, particularly a chaotic meeting held in Kakamega on Saturday.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Secretary General, Edwin Sifuna, has accused state agencies of endangering the lives of opposition leaders during the Kakamega rally organised by the Linda Mwananchi faction, a splinter group within the party.
In a statement on Sunday, Sifuna said members of the faction arrived safely in Nairobi after what he termed as deliberate efforts to disrupt and threaten their movements.
He raised serious concerns over passenger safety at Kisumu International Airport, questioning whether the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) can still guarantee security for travelers.
Sifuna alleged that groups of goons were allowed to barricade the airport, exposing passengers to danger.
He further accused commercial airlines of sharing the group’s travel details with officials from the Ministry of Interior, a move he said compromised their safety.
“Shame on you people,” Sifuna said, expressing anger over the alleged breach.
According to the Nairobi Senator, the leaders had initially booked commercial flights from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Kisumu but were forced to alter their plans after receiving intelligence warnings of possible attacks.
“This is not the kind of country we want to live in. We must change it,” Sifuna said, adding that the group remains resolute in pushing for political reforms despite intimidation.
The Kakamega rally was disrupted by teargas and running battles between police and supporters, but senior ODM leaders, including Vihiga Senator Geoffrey Osotsi, Siaya Governor James Orengo, and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, defied police action and proceeded with the meeting.
Supporters remained at the venue as leaders accused authorities of attempting to silence dissenting voices within and outside the party.
In a separate statement on X, Sifuna claimed that the airline they had booked shared their full itinerary with what he described as “ghouls in the Ministry of Interior,” fully aware that doing so could endanger their lives.
“We were all booked on commercial flights from JKIA. The airlines shared our itinerary with the ghouls in the Ministry of Interior, knowing full well they were endangering our safety,” he wrote.
Sifuna said the alleged security breach led to the deployment of goons at Kisumu International Airport, forcing the team to divert and land at Kakamega Airport instead.
He has now demanded a formal explanation from the Kenya Airports Authority on how the airport was allegedly barricaded and what measures are in place to protect passengers.
