Why Karisa Mdzomba still regrets 'canning' Baba
Coast
By
Patrick Beja
| Oct 15, 2026
On September 29, 2014, Raila Odinga encountered one of the shocks of his life and a security breach when he was suddenly attacked in a place that looked like a safe haven.
He was in the middle of a dance, surrounded by a battalion of security officers and aides, when a frail man struck him with a walking stick at Kinango market in Kwale.
Lengo Karisa Mdzomba also turned his anger on the then Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya, caning him just like Raila in a flash of seconds before he was subdued and wrestled to the ground.
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Raila and Mvurya were presiding over an Okoa Kenya rally at the marketplace when they were attacked unprovoked.
It surprised many how the man stormed the venue unnoticed and reached the dignitaries.
Mdzomba was charged in a Kwale court where he was released on a Sh5,000 cash bail, which he was helped to pay by a human rights organisation even as he pleaded for mercy.
After his arrest and arraignment on assault charges, Raila and Mvurya forgave Mdzomba, who appeared innocent even after the surprise act in a public place. The two declined to fill out a P3 form with the police as required for prosecution.
In the action that remains a mystery to date, Mdzomba turned remorseful before he got clemency from the former Prime Minister, which was communicated to him by a Mombasa human rights activist, Francis Auma.
The man still has the secrets as to why he attacked the leaders. In one account, he stated that he was frustrated by the political environment where people allegedly received huge handouts as he watched.
Yet in another statement later, he indicated that he had been promised a Sh20,000 payout by a third party to disrupt the rally.
It was also not clear why Mdzomba had travelled from his home in Kilifi County to Kinango just to cause the scare and even risk his life by attacking leaders amidst their hundreds of supporters.
Just a few months before the incident, Mdzomba had returned from Tanzania, where he had spent several years working as a casual labourer.
Currently, Mdzomba keeps moving from one village to another in Kilifi County, giving reasons that include family disputes.
And when Raila died on October 15 last year, Mdzomba told Auma that he had been seeking an opportunity to meet the man he regretted having attacked.
“He has been looking for an opportunity to meet Raila for a handshake and make a personal apology. He has always regretted his unprovoked act,” stated Auma.
The Muslim for Human Rights activist, who has been in touch with Mzomba, noted that he wanted to meet Raila so that he could seek peace since the incident had disturbed him.
“Due to Raila’s forgiveness, the Kwale court withdrew the primary assault charge against Mdzomba in October 2014 and the man has remained grateful for the mercy,” he stated.