Tension high in Kakamega as police deploy heavily ahead of Linda Mwananchi rally
Western
By
Mary Imenza
| Feb 21, 2026
Heavy police presence Kakamega town ahead of rally led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna. [Benard Lusigi, Standard]
Tension gripped Kakamega town on Saturday morning as a heavy police presence and widespread business closures set the stage for the Linda Mwananchi rally.
By 9 am, anti-riot police had mounted roadblocks on major streets leading to the town center, conducting spot checks on vehicles and motorbikes.
Patrol vehicles cruised through the central business district as officers took up positions at key junctions and open grounds where supporters were expected to gather.
Most supermarkets, wholesale shops and small businesses remain closed, with traders citing fears of possible clashes. A spot check by The Saturday Standard found several premises along Market Road shuttered, while public service vehicles operated in reduced numbers.
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“We woke up to police vehicles everywhere. People feared there might be chaos, so many traders decided not to open,” said a boda boda operator in the town centre.
The rally, organised under the Linda Mwananchi banner, was expected to draw key political leaders, including Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.
By mid-morning, groups of youths had gathered in parts of the town, chanting slogans in support of Sifuna and other opposition figures. In the Anditi area on the outskirts of town, tensions briefly escalated after some youths lit bonfires on the road, disrupting traffic.
Suspected supporters of ODM SG Edwin Sifuna burn two term reflectors at Amalemba Grounds hours before the rally
Video by Benjamin Sakwa pic.twitter.com/FJop0452HE— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) February 21, 2026
Police intervened, dispersing the group and clearing the debris. No injuries were immediately reported.
“They blocked the road and lit fires. Police came quickly and removed them,” said Peter Oyoo, a resident.
Controversy arose after another group of youths, said to be allied to Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa, was seen carrying rungus. The group, reportedly led by Deputy Governor Ayub Savula, moved through sections of the town chanting rival slogans. Witnesses alleged that some members were openly given money as they brandished the crude weapons.
The presence of rival camps heightened fears of confrontation, prompting police to intensify patrols.
On Friday, Western Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud said police had not received formal notification of the rally. He warned that authorities would act if the gathering violated the law.
"We have heard that there will be a rally tomorrow in Kakamega led by Senator of Senator Sifuna and his faction. That is what we received the social media, and I have not met anybody talking about the rally or coming to my office to request for our assistance," said Mohamud.
He added, "I don't want to speculate what will happen tomorrow but where there will be a problem, we will step in and contain it.”
He dismissed social media claims that politicians were plotting to disrupt the rally, saying police would remain neutral and focus on maintaining order.
The Kakamega meeting marks Sifuna’s latest tour following his removal as Orange Democratic Movement Secretary-General, after he opposed the Party’s move to pursue a pre-election pact with the ruling United Democratic Alliance ahead of the 2027 general election.
His previous rallies in Busia County and Kitengela were also marred by tension. In Kitengela last Sunday, police fired tear gas to disperse supporters, and one person died.