NAIROBI, Kenya – Teargas, tension, and political defiance lit up Kakamega on Saturday as police clashed with supporters of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), disrupting the party’s western Kenya tour.
The chaos unfolded as DCP’s deputy party leader Cleophas Malala returned to his home turf, leading a political caravan through Kakamega town, flanked by fellow lawmakers Senator Methu Muhia (Nyandarua) and Senator Karungo Thang’wa (Kiambu). What began as a triumphant homecoming quickly spiraled into chaos when their convoy encountered a police roadblock in the town center.
Videos shared online showed a standoff turning volatile as police lobbed teargas into the crowd. Supporters, many draped in party colors and chanting pro-DCP slogans, scattered in panic. The air, once filled with political chants, was now thick with smoke and confusion.
Malala Condemns ‘Brute Force’ Response
In a fiery post-incident statement, Malala accused security forces of deploying live bullets in addition to teargas, despite the gathering being “peaceful and lawful.” He labeled the police action as “brute force” and an affront to the very democratic values the Constitution upholds.
“I strongly condemn the use of brute force, live bullets, and unnecessary teargas by our security agencies to disperse a peaceful procession merely welcoming home their leader,” Malala said.
He didn’t stop there. He went on to argue that such aggressive tactics had no place in “a modern, democratic society,” calling for accountability and urging fellow Kenyans not to cower in the face of political suppression.
A Showdown Beyond Politics
The clash in Kakamega isn’t just a blip in a tour calendar—it points to rising political temperatures ahead of Kenya’s next electoral cycle. The DCP, a relatively new political force seeking national visibility, appears to be rubbing some powers the wrong way as it ramps up mobilization efforts in vote-rich regions.
While authorities have yet to officially comment on the use of force or the justification behind the roadblock, the optics of the Kakamega showdown are already fueling a broader conversation about political space and freedom of assembly in Kenya.
Malala and his allies say they’re undeterred. “No amount of intimidation or coercion will break our resolve to liberate this country,” he declared.
