Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has given a detailed account of how Vincent Osiemo, also known as Mapinduzi, died during violent scenes that disrupted the Linda Mwananchi political rally in Kisii County.

Speaking during a morning television interview on Monday, July 6, 2026, Onyonka said the incident happened as the convoy was fleeing an attack by a group of armed youths in the Keumbu area.

He explained that the rally had begun peacefully in Kisii town before violence broke out later as the convoy moved towards Keroka.

“What actually happened is that, yes, when we arrived in Kisii town, it was an astounding function; it was very good, there was no issue, and people spoke,” Onyonka said.

He added that trouble started as they left Kisii town.

“And when we were now leaving, getting out of Kisii town and going to Keroka, that it was then that we found this group of more than 1,000 young men and individuals with arrows, bows, and jembe sticks shouting that we are abusing their MP. And that is how the skirmish has begun.”

According to Onyonka, the convoy was forced to speed away after the attack began, which led to chaos on the road.

“As a result, when we were escaping from Keumbu, the young man, Mapinduzi, who died, actually slipped and fell out when the vehicle he was in was going over bumps at a market area and hit his head on the ground,” he said.

He explained that the road in Keumbu has bumps near a busy market, which contributed to the accident when the vehicles sped through the area.

“When the vehicle they were using- and he was actually in the vehicle because he was one of the sound people, he then slipped and fell out, and he hit his head on the floor,” Onyonka said.

The senator said the convoy was under heavy pressure as stones were thrown at it during the escape.

“I was just ahead of him. A stone came through. I was sitting in Justice Maraga’s car. It was Justice Maraga and me, because when we travel, we travel in groups,” he added.

Maraga’s car hit

Onyonka said the vehicle carrying Justice David Maraga was also hit during the attack.

“And there was a stone which hit Justice Maraga’s car from the back and the side. A stone crossed over to where I was in the middle,” he said.

He added that security personnel inside the convoy were not injured as the driver managed to escape the attackers.

“The security guy in the front was not affected; then there was another security guy on the right, and we then managed, somehow our driver managed, to go around the guys who were carrying the stones,” he said.

Onyonka said the convoy later proceeded to Keroka, where another group of attackers had gathered.

“In Keroka, there were also goons organised, only our team overpowered them and chased them away from town, in fact, to some two schools,” he said.

He also claimed that the attackers were mobilised to disrupt the rally and prevent people from attending.

“Those goons who were in Keroka were being called by, of course, none other than the people who were against us, being told to go and be given handouts so that they also don’t attend the rally,” he said.

The incident has sparked political tension, with opposition leaders blaming security lapses and calling for accountability.

Vincent Osiemo, widely known as Mapinduzi, died after sustaining head injuries during the chaos. He was reportedly travelling in one of the convoy vehicles when he fell while the convoy sped away under attack.

According to earlier reports from his employer and eyewitness accounts, the convoy had been ambushed by armed youths using stones and crude weapons. Several people were injured during the incident.

Police have since launched investigations into the attack, with several already arrested as authorities try to establish the circumstances that led to the fatal fall.

The family of the deceased has called for justice, urging authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible for the violence.