Siaya Governor James Orengo has vowed that the Linda Mwananchi movement will not be intimidated, after its supporter Evans “Kidero Jasuba” Kawala was arrested and later released on bail.

In a statement on Thursday, May 28, 2026, Orengo said the movement’s intervention by a legal team led by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino led to the release of the person of interest, insisting that its members stood firm in solidarity during Kawala’s arrest.

“As Linda Mwananchi, we refuse to back down. We stood shoulder to shoulder with Evans ‘Kidero Jasuba’ Kawala today following his politically motivated arrest,” Orengo said.

Orengo further praised supporters affiliated with the Bunge La Wanainchi network for turning up in large numbers at the court proceedings in what he described as a show of solidarity.

“Massive respect to the Bunge La Wanainchi family for showing up and standing strong for their own!” Orengo stated.

Orengo condemned the arrest

Orengo, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, accused the government of abducting the individual for criticising Ruto’s administration.

Orengo claimed that Kidero Jasuba was being targeted for speaking truth to power.

“Tonight, the Ruto administration resorted to desperate measures by abducting Evance ‘Kidero Jasuba’ Kawala, a vocal champion of the Jacaranda Bunge La Mwananchi, simply for speaking truth to power,” Orengo stated.

“Oppression only signals a government’s weakness. You can abduct a critic, but you cannot chain the spirit of defiance. We demand his immediate and unconditional release,” he added.

The arrest

According to DCI, the vocal Bunge la Mwanachi member was arrested as a person of interest linked to inflammatory public utterances that have been circulating widely across social media platforms.

Confirming the incident on their social media platform on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, the DCI has noted that the content shared online was considered highly inciting and posed a serious threat to public cohesion and national stability.

“Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a suspect linked to inflammatory public utterances that have gone viral across social media platforms, with content deemed highly inciteful and a serious threat to public cohesion and national stability,” the DCI statement read in part.