Orengo: Attack on Senator Osotsi Was a Calculated Act, Not Random Violence

File Image of Godffrey Osotsi and James Orengo

Siaya Governor James Orengo has termed the attack on Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi as a calculated and deliberate act, dismissing claims that the incident was accidental.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, April 8, Orengo said the early morning assault at Java House, Western Mall in Kisumu was premeditated and targeted.

“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.

According to Orengo, the attack forms part of a wider pattern aimed at intimidating political leaders aligned to certain positions.

“This is a clearly coordinated and organized 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,” he added.

He further called on law enforcement agencies to act swiftly, demanding accountability and transparency in the investigations.

“We demand that the police immediately produce the CCTV footage from Java House and ensure the culprits are brought to book without further delay,” Orengo stated.

The governor also warned against attempts to exploit ethnic divisions, particularly between the Luo and Luhya communities.

“Organizing this hit in the heart of Kisumu is a desperate and primitive attempt to incite tribal warfare between the Luo and Luhya communities, but we see through these dirty divide and rule tactics,” he said.

Orengo reaffirmed the resilience of the Linda Mwananchi movement, insisting that such incidents would not derail its agenda.

“These cowardly acts will not stop us. To the planners and their goons, you are wasting your time because you cannot kill an idea whose time has come. Linda Mwananchi is a movement of the people, and this movement is unstoppable,” he added.

Earlier, Osotsi’s Director of Communication, Derick Luvega, said the senator was attacked at the restaurant while meeting a friend and interacting with members of the public.

Luvega claimed that a group of armed individuals confronted the senator and physically assaulted him in full view of the public over his political stance.

“It was during this time that a group of gun-wielding individuals confronted him, questioning his political stance and subsequently subjecting him to physical manhandling. They demanded to know why he is supporting one-term and not two-term,” part of the statement read.

He added that the senator’s security team refrained from using firearms to avoid endangering members of the public.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna said Osotsi had been airlifted to Nairobi for treatment following the incident.

“The Senator is being airlifted to Nairobi as we speak. Whilst we wait for further details, I strongly condemn this attack and ask the police for immediate action on those responsible,” Sifuna stated.