The by-elections set for November 27 descended into violence across several counties — and one of the loudest voices demanding accountability was Senator Edwin Sifuna. Speaking on Thursday, the senator described the day as “one of the bloodiest election days in recent history.” He pointed directly to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and his team, saying they must take responsibility for failing to safeguard voters and candidates. 

Violence flares in multiple hotspots

In western Kenya’s Malava constituency, a vehicle believed to belong to a candidate convoy was torched early on — a dramatic escalation in a region already on edge. Local officials say the act was meant to intimidate voters. 

Meanwhile, in Kasipul, Homa Bay County, dozens were hurt when a mob reportedly attacked a polling-station team accompanying a candidate. Observers described chaos, with some polling agents forcibly ejected. 

According to rights monitors and observers, similar incidents were recorded in Kabuchai, further fuelling anger over security oversight and alleged partisan interference. 

Promises of security fall short

Only a day before polls opened, Murkomen had led a nationwide security assessment — publicly assuring all voters that ample police and security officers had been deployed across electoral hotbeds. He urged calm and stressed the government’s commitment to a safe, credible voting process. 

Despite those assurances, the wave of unrest quickly triggered condemnation from oversight agencies including the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), which called on all sides to respect human rights and electoral norms. 

Opposition demands accountability

Sifuna — who is the Secretary-General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) — made clear his stance: either the security command failed spectacularly, or it was complicit. “All the violence being witnessed across the country … points either to incompetence within the security command or to their outright involvement,” he said.

He urged Murkomen and the government to own up to these failures and ensure that those responsible are held to account.

For their part, the electoral authority Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and police officials called for calm, reminding political actors and voters alike of the need to adhere strictly to the law.