Orengo condemns Godfrey Ososti’s attack in Kisumu
By Mabonga Makhanu, April 8, 2026Siaya Governor James Orengo has condemned the attack on Vihiga Senator Godfrey Ososti in Kisumu.
In a statement shared on his social media accounts shortly after the senator was airlifted to Nairobi for treatment on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, Orengo said the attack was politically motivated, aimed at intimidating and silencing the senator, who is an integral member of the Linda Mwananchi movement, which is highly opposed to the government.
Orengo described the early morning ambush on Senator Ososti at Java House, Western Mall in Kisumu, as a “disgusting display of cowardice” and stressed that it was not a random act of violence.
He said the attack appeared to be a coordinated and organised pattern of intimidation targeting voices of the people, noting that it came shortly after a violent incident at the Grand Royal Swiss Hotel on the eve of the linda Mwananchi rally, Kakamega chapter.
“The barbaric, early-morning ambush on Linda Mwananchi, Principal and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi at Java House, Western Mall in Kisumu, is a disgusting display of cowardice. Make no mistake, this was not a random act of violence,” he said.
“This is a clearly coordinated and organised pattern of intimidation aimed at silencing the voices of the people, coming as a second direct hit after the violent assault at the Grand Royal Swiss Hotel on the eve of our Kakamega Rally.”
Call to action
He demanded that the police immediately release the CCTV footage from Java House and ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice without delay. Orengo added that organising such an attack in the heart of Kisumu was a desperate attempt to incite tribal tensions between the Luo and Luhya communities, but he asserted that such “divide and rule” tactics would not succeed.
Orengo said the attacks would not deter them, warning that the planners and their operatives were wasting their time because they could not “kill an idea whose time has come.” He emphasised that Linda Mwananchi is a movement of the people and described it as “unstoppable”.
Osotsi’s attack
Osotsi suffered injuries in an attack in Kisumu on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, and officials airlifted him to Nairobi for treatment.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna broke the news on his X account. He said he had spoken to Osotsi’s team and confirmed the details.
“I have spoken to Senator Osotsi’s team and confirmed that he was viciously attacked and injured in Kisumu earlier today when he went to get a haircut,” Sifuna wrote.
“The Senator is being airlifted to Nairobi as we speak.”