NAIROBI, Kenya- Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioner Roselyn Akombe has warned that Kenya risks sliding down a dangerous path if armed groups are allowed to operate with impunity, following violent incidents on Thika Road and in Kisii County.
In a statement shared on social media, Akombe said the scenes witnessed in the two locations should alarm anyone concerned about the country’s future.
“The scenes on Thika Road and Kisii yesterday should alarm anyone who cares about our beloved country. State-sponsored armed militias are a dangerous path to choose,” she said.
She cautioned that countries that have tolerated armed militias have often paid a heavy price, citing Boko Haram in Nigeria, Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Haiti’s Bwa Kale as examples of how such groups can fuel instability and violence.
Her remarks came after opposition leaders alleged that suspected hired goons attacked members of the Linda Mwananchi movement in Keumbu, Kisii County, disrupting a planned political rally.
Videos circulating online showed chaotic scenes as groups of men confronted opposition supporters.
Leaders claimed police officers at the scene failed to intervene during the attack.
Those allegations have not been independently verified, and the National Police Service had not publicly responded at the time of publication.
The Kisii incident followed unrest along Thika Superhighway, where groups of suspected goons briefly blocked sections of the road, disrupted motorists and clashed with members of the public despite the area being close to police installations.
Opposition leaders questioned how the violence unfolded for several minutes without an immediate security response, although police have not commented on those claims.
Akombe’s statement adds to growing concern among opposition leaders and civil society over recent incidents of political violence, with critics calling for thorough investigations into the attacks and the role of security agencies in responding to them.