KISUMU, Kenya Jun 18 – Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has called on the national government and the National Police Service (NPS) to take full responsibility for the rising cases of extrajudicial killings and police brutality across the country.
Wanga expressed outrage over the death of blogger Albert Ojwang, who hailed from Homa Bay County, while in police custody. She said the incident has shaken the nation and reflects a growing trend of impunity within law enforcement.
“We stand united in grief and outrage as our nation confronts a wave of police brutality, impunity, and extrajudicial killings,” Wanga said in a statement.
The Governor also recounted several other recent incidents involving police violence in her county. She cited the death of Calvins Omondi Anditi, a 36-year-old fisherman from Mbita, who allegedly hanged himself at Kipasi Police Post. “The postmortem at Homa Bay County Referral Hospital will reveal the truth,” she added.
Wanga further revealed that Gabriel Mwita Chacha, 34, is currently fighting for his life at the County Referral Hospital after allegedly being brutalised by police officers at Ringiti Island in Lake Victoria.
She also confirmed that another resident of Homa Bay, Philip Oketch, was shot in the neck during Tuesday’s protests in Nairobi and is currently receiving treatment in hospital.
“Enough is enough. The perpetrators of these extrajudicial killings must face the full force of the law,” Wanga asserted, calling for the immediate prosecution of all officers involved, including those with command responsibility.
Wanga, who also serves as the chairperson of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), reiterated the party’s opposition to extrajudicial killings. She noted that ODM’s 10-point agreement with the ruling coalition explicitly prohibits such abuses.
“Our support for the broad-based government does not extend to extrajudicial killings and police brutality. We are holding the government to its commitments,” she said.
