NAIROBI, June 17 – Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) Deputy Party Leader and former Kakamega Senator, Cleophas Malala, has called for the arrest and prosecution of Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, accusing him of recruiting and financing criminal gangs to intimidate political opponents in the county.
In a letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, on Wednesday, Malala alleged that the governor was behind a network of gangs involved in violence, intimidation, and destruction of property targeting residents opposed to his political agenda and re-election bid in 2027.
Malala claimed that the party had gathered what he described as credible, verifiable and undeniable evidence from victims and alleged gang members linking the governor to the activities.
“We have credible, verifiable and undeniable evidence gathered from both victims of his gang attacks and members of the gang, who confess in confidence to having been hired to intimidate, attack and maim citizens who publicly oppose the governor’s political ideologies,” Malala said in the letter.
The DCP deputy leader further alleged that the gangs had been breaking into homes of perceived political opponents, stealing and destroying property, and attacking residents.
Malala cited an incident he said occurred last week during a consultative meeting with supporters in the Harambee area of Matungu Constituency along the Mumias-Bungoma road. He alleged that armed individuals disrupted the gathering using machetes, stones and other crude weapons.
According to him, several of his supporters were injured during the confrontation, with one person reportedly hospitalized after suffering serious head injuries.
He also accused local security officials of failing to act against the alleged criminal activities, expressing concern over what he termed as silence from senior police officers in the county.
“The biggest concern is the silence by your senior police officers in charge of these areas, specifically the Kakamega County Police Commander and the OCPD Matungu area,” he stated.
Separately, Malala urged Kakamega residents to participate in a peaceful demonstration to protest what he described as growing intimidation and insecurity in the county.
The former senator attributed the unrest to the county leadership and called on residents and authorities to ensure peace and order during the planned march.
This comes as the government vows to deal with criminal gangs after the Inspector-General of the National Police Service (NPS), Douglas Kanja, convened a high-level security summit with senior police commanders at the National Police Leadership Academy in Ng’ong, where he ordered urgent and coordinated action against rising organised criminal activity across the country.
The meeting brought together top leadership from the Kenya Police Service (KPS), the Administration Police Service (APS), and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), in what officials described as a strategic review of national security operations and emerging crime trends.
Those in attendance included Deputy Inspector-General of KPS Eliud Lagat, Deputy Inspector-General of APS Gilbert Masengeli, and DCI Director Mohamed Amin.
According to the National Police Service, the summit assessed the current operational environment, reviewed threat patterns, and developed new interventions aimed at strengthening law enforcement capacity and response times.
Addressing the commanders, IG Kanja commended senior officers for what he termed their “relentless efforts” in managing evolving security challenges, but urged them to adopt more adaptive and efficient strategies in the use of available resources.
He issued a firm warning over what he described as the resurgence of criminal gangs, directing police commanders to take immediate and decisive action to dismantle organised groups operating in various parts of the country.
“The Inspector-General declared a zero-tolerance stance on operational negligence and warned that any lapse in enforcement would not be tolerated,” the National Police Service said in a statement summarising the meeting.
The summit also emphasized the need for enhanced coordination between investigative and operational units, particularly the DCI and field commanders, in addressing organised crime networks, urban gangs, and other emerging security threats.
IG Kanja reaffirmed the National Police Service’s commitment to safeguarding public safety, maintaining law and order, and ensuring a secure environment for social and economic activity.
The directive comes amid growing concern over criminal networks operating in urban and peri-urban areas, with authorities increasingly focusing on intelligence-led policing and rapid response operations.
The National Police Service said further operational briefings and deployments are expected in the coming days as part of the new security strategy rolled out following the summit.
