Ruth Odinga
Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has condemned the violence that disrupted the Linda Mwananchi movement’s activities in Homa Bay, warning political leaders against turning young people into instruments of political conflict.
Odinga said her “heart is bleeding” over the events preceding the movement’s scheduled rallies, condemning what she described as attacks targeting the political convoy and journalists covering the events.
She specifically condemned the assault on AFP journalists Fred Ooko and Brian Ongoro, who were attacked and had their equipment destroyed while covering the unrest.
“An attack on the press is an attack on every Kenyan’s right to know,” Odinga said, adding that attacks on political convoys undermine Kenyans’ constitutional rights to move, assemble and associate freely.
The Kisumu legislator also expressed concern over what she described as a dangerous pattern in Luo Nyanza, arguing that a region with a long history of fighting for democratic freedoms should not become a place where political differences are settled through violence.
Odinga, who comes from the prominent Odinga political family, invoked the legacy of her late father, former Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and other historical figures who fought for multiparty democracy and political freedoms.
She recalled Jaramogi’s detention and political struggles, as well as the deaths of political figures including Argwings-Kodhek, Tom Mboya and University of Nairobi professor Crispin Odhiambo Mbai.
According to Odinga, the sacrifices made by previous generations should serve as a reminder that political disagreements must be resolved through dialogue and democratic competition rather than violence.
She said the scenes witnessed in Homa Bay, including road disruptions, attacks on journalists and violence involving political supporters, were inconsistent with the democratic values for which many Kenyans had fought.
“We must take stock as a community,” Odinga said, insisting that political rallies should not be treated as crimes and dissenting voices should not be viewed as enemies.
The legislator also turned her criticism towards political leaders, accusing them of bearing responsibility for the conduct of youths allegedly mobilised to disrupt political gatherings.
She warned that continued political mobilisation along violent lines could create consequences that would be difficult to reverse.
“This madness must just stop; otherwise we will not have a country,” Odinga said, urging leaders to ensure Homa Bay and the wider Nyanza region remain places where political disagreements are handled through conversation rather than confrontation.
Her remarks come as political tensions continue to rise in Homa Bay, where the Linda Mwananchi movement faced significant disruption during its tour of the county.