Linda Mwananchi pleads with Kenyans to end Keumbu Market boycott after attack
By Sharon Atieno, July 11, 2026The Linda Mwananchi movement has urged Kenyans not to boycott businesses in Keumbu Market, Kisii County, saying innocent traders should not suffer for an attack carried out by a few individuals during the movement’s recent political tour.
In a statement shared on their X account on Saturday, July 11, 2026, the movement said it does not believe in collective punishment, insisting that those responsible for the violence are known and should be held individually accountable.
“We sent our Kisii team to Keumbu Market with one message: Linda Mwananchi does not believe in collective punishment. The people who attacked us in Keumbu are known. Many of the Mama Mboga in Keumbu are innocent and there is no need to boycott their businesses,” the movement said.
Appeal to protect livelihoods
The statement comes amid calls on social media for a boycott of businesses in Keumbu following the violent attack on the Linda Mwananchi convoy earlier this month.
The movement appealed to its supporters to separate criminal acts from the livelihoods of ordinary residents, noting that many traders had no involvement in the violence witnessed during the political tour.
It maintained that accountability should be directed at individuals responsible for the attack rather than the wider Keumbu community.
Attack left supporter dead
The latest appeal follows claims by Linda Mwananchi leaders that one of their supporters died after the July 3, 2026 attack in Keumbu.
The leaders identified the deceased as Vincent Oscemo, popularly known as Mapinduzi, saying he sustained fatal head injuries after falling from a moving campaign vehicle that came under a sustained stone attack as it travelled from Kisii town towards Keroka.
Led by Kitutu Masaba MP Clive Gisairo, the leaders also said at least 20 other supporters were injured during the violence, which they described as a coordinated attack targeting the opposition convoy.
“What happened in Keumbu should never be tolerated in a democratic society,” Gisairo said at the time.
Police investigations continue
Meanwhile, investigations into the incident remain ongoing.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) summoned Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda to record a statement in connection with the incident as detectives widened their probe.
Police also confirmed the arrest of additional persons of interest, raising the total number of those in custody to seven, following joint operations by officers from Keumbu Police Station and DCI Kisii Central.
The National Police Service has maintained that investigations are ongoing and appealed to members of the public with information to assist detectives as authorities seek to establish the full circumstances surrounding the attack and identify all those responsible.