Rarieda Member of Parliament Otiendo Omollo has strongly condemned the attack on Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi in Kisumu, describing it as a disturbing manifestation of rising political intolerance and organised goonism in the country.
Speaking during a Thursday parliamentary session, Omollo revealed that he was among the first leaders to publicly denounce the incident shortly after learning that Osotsi had been admitted at Aga Khan Hospital following the assault.
“I was probably one of the first to condemn this unfortunate incident at about 2:30 pm yesterday when I learnt from one of my relatives who was in Aga Khan that Senator Osotsi had been attacked,” Omollo said.
He added that his condemnation remains firm, terming the attack an act of cowardice that has no place in Kenya’s democratic space.
“I condemned it and I still do as an act of cowardice. I condemned it as an act of political intolerance. We can have our differences of opinion, we can support anyone we want, but the most anyone can do is respond to you verbally and express their opinion. Not attend upon you physical harm,” he stated.
Omollo further warned that the country is witnessing an increasing normalization of organised violence during political and social gatherings, accusing unnamed actors of financing and deploying groups of goons to disrupt events.
“I condemned and I still do, as an act of goonism which is gaining currency in this country. Almost everywhere now, almost every funeral, political meeting, we are witnessing very unfortunate incidences of goons being ferried and paid to do that,” he said.
The legislator also raised concern over what he termed as a growing trend of misinformation and disinformation following violent incidents, saying such narratives often target victims and distort public understanding of events.
“Beyond the attack itself, I also condemned the mis and disinformation that came across after that attack. This idea of people doing the wrong thing and then flooding social media to disinform and almost defame the victims of such acts,” Omollo noted.
He emphasized that his condemnation was not based on political affiliation or personal sympathy, but on principle and the need to safeguard all citizens from violence.
“I do not just condemn this because of the status of Senator Osotsi, but I would condemn it if it happened to any Kenyan. I do not just condemn it because of party issues. I am the national vice-chair in the ODM party. The D in our party stands for democracy. Anybody who is a member of ODM is allowed by our constitution to express themselves as best they know. That can never be reason to visit any sort of harm in any way by a sympathiser of ODM party,” he said.
Omollo warned that failure to address the growing trend of political violence could have serious consequences as the country approaches the 2027 General Election.
“If we do not contain this kind of thing now, 2027 might portend dangers that we cannot fathom. I support that we must arrest those who perpetrated this crime and even those who planned this crime. Only then can we start containing the larger ogre that is facing us now,” he cautioned.
His remarks come amid heightened political tensions following the violent attack on Senator Osotsi in Kisumu, which has sparked widespread condemnation from leaders across the political divide and renewed debate on political intolerance and security during public engagements.