Nairobi, Kenya- The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), flanked by armed police officers, descended on the Milimani residence of Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya shortly before 8 a.m.
With a search warrant in hand and a convoy of vehicles behind them, the officers weren’t expecting much trouble. What they got instead was a full-blown public backlash.
Word of the raid spread like wildfire through Kitale. Within minutes, residents swarmed the area, angry and suspicious.
As tension escalated, residents began pelting the officers’ cars with stones. Tyres were slashed. Windscreens shattered. By the time reinforcements arrived, at least five vehicles were badly damaged and the compound had turned into a chaotic battleground.
Though Natembeya was not home at the time, the search lasted over two hours, with officers seen entering the compound carrying what eyewitnesses described as “huge bags.” Footage from the scene quickly circulated online, fueling speculation and outrage.
Governor Natembeya has long worn the label of a rebel — unapologetically critical of the Kenya Kwanza administration and unafraid to speak his mind.
His rising popularity through the TAWE movement, a grassroots campaign centered around “people-first” governance, has only put him further at odds with the political establishment.
The Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) issued a statement accusing the state of reviving “Moi-era tactics” to silence dissent.
“The weaponisation of independent offices to frustrate and humiliate those with alternative political stands shall be met with full resistance by the people,” the party warned.
As of Monday afternoon, no official reason had been given for the raid, and the EACC had yet to release a statement.
But the optics alone — plainclothes officers, masked faces, early-morning timing — added fuel to a growing narrative of state intimidation.
More officers were deployed to secure the compound as the situation threatened to spiral further.
But residents made it clear: they weren’t going anywhere quietly. To them, Natembeya isn’t just a governor. He’s a symbol of defiance — and any threat against him feels like a threat against them.
