NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 14 – Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o has strongly condemned recent acts of violence and property destruction in the lakeside city, warning that the incidents threaten investor confidence and public safety.
In a statement issued following an attack linked to Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi and Former Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera Fairways Hotel Kisumu.
The governor revealed that he had convened and chaired a high-level consultative meeting bringing together members of the County Executive, the County Security Committee, Members of Parliament and Members of the County Assembly under the Kisumu County Joint Leadership and Security Consultative Forum.
Nyong’o described Kisumu as a key investment hub and gateway to the Lake Region Economic Bloc, but cautioned that emerging lawlessness risks undermining the city’s economic progress.
“We strongly condemn the recent attacks on private property and investment, particularly the incidents at Fairways Hotel and Java House West End Mall. These are criminal acts that undermine livelihoods and economic stability,” he said.
He termed the incidents as criminal acts that not only threaten livelihoods but also destabilise the local economy.
The governor has now called on the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to urgently step in by enhancing intelligence gathering, identifying those behind the attacks, and ensuring their swift arrest and prosecution.
“The peace, stability and prosperity of Kisumu are non-negotiable. As leaders, we remain fully committed to working with security agencies and all stakeholders to ensure that order is restored and maintained,”the Siaya Governor noted.
The remarks come amid growing concern over security in Kisumu, with leaders warning that continued unrest could dent the region’s attractiveness to investors and disrupt economic activity.
Osotsi had made a routine visit to the Acacia area to get a haircut before proceeding to Java restaurant, where he met a friend and also interacted with members of the public.
Shortly after, a group of gun-wielding individuals is said to have confronted him, questioning him over his political allegiance.
Osotsi’s security detail exercised restraint to avoid discharging firearms in public and hurting innocent lives in the process.
“We strongly condemn this barbaric and cowardly act, which appears to have been premeditated and orchestrated,” the statement read in part.
“It is important to emphasise that this isolated incident should not, in any way, be used to tarnish the image of the people of Kisumu, who have consistently demonstrated warmth and hospitality, as evidenced by the Senator’s free movement and interactions prior to the attack.”
Osotsi’s team called on the National Police Service to review the CCTV footage at Java Restaurant to identify and arrest those culpable.
Last month,Former Devolution Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera claimed that his hotel in Kisumu suffered losses running into about Sh50 million over the past two months following alleged vandalism and an ongoing property dispute.
Nyakera said some hotel property, including electronic equipment and items from the conference facilities, had previously been removed during earlier confrontations related to the dispute.
The revelation came hours after an incident in the early hourswhen Nyakera reported t hat dozens of suspected goons allegedly stormed the premises, overpowering security guards.
The businessman linked the attack to a protracted dispute over the property where the hotel sits.
Nyakera said his company leased the land in 2019 and invested heavily to transform what was previously an abandoned structure into a functioning hotel employing about 84 staff.
“I took a loan to put up the conference hall and develop the infrastructure here,” he said, noting that the dispute largely relates to rent arrears accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the hotel was closed for several months.
However, the Lake Basin Development Authority, which owns the property where the hotel sits, has said it has no agreement with the former PS.
“The LBDA has no known relationship with any party called Irungu Nyakera, as the previous agreement was with an institution called Fairways Hospitality Kisumu Limited,” LBDA said in a statement.
