Fourteen suspects arrested in connection with the violent disruptions that rocked political and religious gatherings in Kisumu and Nyahururu over the weekend were arraigned in court today, July 13, 2026, to face criminal charges.

The swift legal action follows a stern warning from the National Police Service (NPS), which heavily condemned the resurgence of political intolerance and gang-related goonism ahead of upcoming electoral contests.

Kisumu

The most severe of the clashes occurred on Sunday outside the ACK St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Milimani, Kisumu.

The violent disruption unfolded mid-service while Siaya Governor James Orengo and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, both key figures in the opposition’s Linda Mwananchi movement, were inside hosting a fundraising event for the Kenya Anglican Men’s Association.

According to police reports, security forces were forced to deploy teargas canisters to disperse rival youth factions who clashed violently outside the church gates.

The confrontation involved an armed gang trying to forcefully breach the cathedral compound, which was met by another group gathered within the precinct.

The ensuing running battles, fought with bows, arrows, machetes, and clubs, left a trail of destruction.

Aftermath

An unidentified man sustained fatal chest stab wounds and was pronounced dead while receiving treatment at Nightingale Hospital.

Several others were seriously injured, including a 23-year-old Nyalenda resident who suffered severe head trauma.

Nine motorcycles were intercepted and torched by the rampaging youth, and the windscreen of a police vehicle assigned to the Regional Criminal Investigations Officer (RCIO) Nyanza was shattered.

Despite the chaos outside, the fundraising service inside continued, though worshippers were left terrified as explosions and shouting echoed through the sanctuary.

Governor Orengo and Senator Sifuna were later evacuated safely through a side gate.

Following the chaos, police arrested eight suspects at the scene.

Nyahururu

The police crackdown also accounted for six additional suspects arrested in Nyahururu on the same day.

In that incident, a hostile group disrupted a political rally linked to the same movement by hurling stones, injuring several attendees, and damaging property.

In a public statement, NPS Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga dismissed viral social media rumors alleging that a shooting had occurred during the Nyahururu skirmishes, clarifying that no live fire was exchanged.

Road to 2027

Addressing the press after the Kisumu incident, Governor Orengo and Senator Sifuna blamed state machinery for orchestrating the violence, claiming the attacks bore the hallmarks of a coordinated operation designed to intimidate the Linda Mwananchi movement.