Tension remains high in Bumula Constituency in Bungoma County, Kenya, following a suspected arson attack that saw two homes belonging to supporters of area Member of Parliament (MP), Jack Wamboka, torched. The assailants' dawn attack struck at around 2 am at Mwiyenga village in Kimaeti Ward, targeting the homesteads of Boniface Wakwabubi and Mwalimu Ben Wang’unda, while their families were asleep. The attackers fled before neighbours responded to distress calls and helped contain the blazes.
The arson attacks have heightened political hostilities in the Constituency, where supporters of Wamboka and those allied to his political rival, Kenya Kwanza aspirant, Mwambu Mabonga, have been locked in bitter rivalry. Police have launched investigations into the two incidents, with detectives combing the scenes, to establish the circumstances surrounding the attacks and to track down the perpetrators. Mwambu Mabonga dismissed allegations surrounding the Mwiyenga arson attacks, describing them as stage-managed claims.
Mabonga instead accused Wamboka of leading an incursion into Mwiyenga village accompanied by individuals he claimed had been implicated in a previous attack at a funeral in Khelela village. He alleged that the incursion left scores of residents injured and resulted in the theft of his protection officer's licensed firearm. Mabonga further alleged that his team had formally reported both the Khelela incident and the alleged assaults in Mwiyenga to security agencies, calling for investigations and accountability.
Residents say the incidents are the latest in a string of politically linked confrontations in the area, with several residents allegedly beaten, stabbed or threatened over their political affiliations. Recounting the ordeal, Wang’unda said he was woken up by choking smoke shortly after 2 am, having arrived home late the previous night. Disoriented, he used a torch to inspect the house and found fire in the sitting room, with a smell of petrol.
Boniface Wakwabubi, whose home was also targeted, said he had never witnessed such thick smoke engulfing his house and appealed for calm. He emphasized that in politics, one should persuade and not use force to make someone follow. Another resident, George Sangura, claimed he was recently accosted while returning home by two assailants known to him, one of whom allegedly issued death threats, while boasting of impunity.
Visiting the affected village alongside members of his political team, Bumula Member of Parliament, Jack Wamboka, condemned the attacks and accused security agencies of failing to shield residents from political intimidation. The MP termed the incidents deliberate arson, aimed at punishing and intimidating his supporters, warning that continued inaction by authorities could compel residents to organise their own defense.
Kabuchai Member of Parliament (MP) Majimbo Kalasinga condemned the attacks, expressing concern over the safety of Wamboka’s supporters and warning against political intolerance. Both Wamboka and Kalasinga are aligned with the Linda Mwananchi Movement (LMM), a political outfit associated with Nairobi Senator, Edwin Sifuna. Residents are now calling for heightened security patrols across the Constituency, insisting that political divergence should not put lives and property at risk.
Key points
- The attacks have heightened political hostilities in the Constituency.
- The incidents are the latest in a string of politically linked confrontations.
- Residents are calling for heightened security patrols across the Constituency.
