Kalonzo condemns targeted attacks on Opposition leaders
By Emmanuel Rono, April 9, 2026Wiper Patriotic Front Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has condemned a series of violent attacks targeting leaders of the United Alternative Government.
Kalonzo described the incidents as a deliberate campaign to intimidate leaders and a deliberate campaign to block the opposition leaders from accessing Nyanza and Western regions.
In a statement on his X account on Thursday, April 9, 2026, Kalonzo said the recent assault on Senator Godfrey Osotsi was “chilling” and part of a worrying pattern in the region.
“Senator Godfrey Osotsi’s account of a calculated, near-fatal attack is chilling, and it is not an isolated incident,” Kalonzo said.
Attack on key opposition leaders
He noted that Siaya Governor James Orengo had also been attacked by the same group of assailants at the Royal Swiss Hotel in Kisumu, while former MP Richard Onyonka was assaulted after attending a Linda Mwananchi rally.
“A clear pattern has emerged. Osotsi and Siaya Governor James Orengo were attacked by the same goons at the Royal Swiss Hotel, Kisumu. Richard Onyonka was attacked, leaving a Linda Mwananchi rally,” Kalonzo stated.
According to Kalonzo, the United Alternative Government has faced several attacks from the same attackers during their rallies in the Western region.
He added that the attacks are aimed at silencing their campaigns in the region amid the 2027 general elections.
“The United Alternative Government has faced similar violence in Kakamega and Bungoma counties. This is a deliberate campaign to block leaders from accessing Nyanza and Western regions; to silence the Government-in-waiting, intimidate leaders, and deny citizens the right to engage with alternative leadership,” Kalonzo stated.
Linda Mwananchi attacks
Osotsi’s attack comes amid rising tension around leaders linked to the Linda Mwananchi movement.
In February 2026, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna claimed that he and his team were targeted at Kisumu International Airport ahead of a planned rally in Kakamega.
He claimed that suspected goons barricaded the airport to block their arrival and accused the Kenya Airports Authority of allowing the breach. According to Sifuna, his team had to change travel plans and land at Kakamega Airstrip instead.
The Kakamega rally later turned chaotic, with reports of teargas and clashes between rival groups. One person was confirmed dead.