Taxi man fighting to rebuild livelihood after car torched in Homa Bay violence

Steven Otieno, a taxi driver from Nyalenda, Kisumu, is facing a double burden after he was attacked during the August 16, 2026 Linda Mwananchi rally violence in Homa Bay. He suffered deep machete wounds and a fractured arm while his vehicle was torched. [Rodgers Otiso, Standard]

For taxi driver Steven Otieno, the August 16 violence in Homa Bay did not end when he escaped a mob armed with machetes and rungus and sought refuge inside a church.

More than a month later, the Nyalenda, Kisumu resident is still nursing injuries sustained during the attack, unable to return to work and struggling to meet his basic needs.

He is also facing another burden — the loss of the vehicle that was his source of livelihood after it was torched during the violence — leaving him caught in a dispute over who should help him replace it.

Steven was driving a Subaru Legacy hired to transport Abbie Zuena, also known as Abigail Gikonyo, to a Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay.

Zuena, a mobiliser associated with the Linda Mwananchi political movement, was among those travelling to Homa Bay for the August 16 rally. She had contacted Steven to pick her up from the airport and drive her to the event.

Steven says he picked up Zuena at about 6:30pm on August 15 and drove her to her residence. The following day, he took her to Mlimani, where members of the Linda Mwananchi fraternity were mobilising before leaving for Homa Bay.

Steven says they were attacked as they made their way out of Homa Bay following the violence witnessed that day.

At about 5:30pm to 6pm, as they made their way out of the area, they encountered groups of youths armed with machetes and rungus.

“They demanded everything from us, our phones and money. One of them asked for Sh100. I gave him Sh100 and another one asked for another Sh100, which I also gave,” Steven says.

He says one group directed them towards a nearby church for safety before another group arrived. According to Steven, the second group spotted their vehicle, surrounded it and demanded that they surrender everything they had.

The occupants were then pulled out of the vehicle and attacked.

Steven says he was hacked on the left side  of his face, back, arm, hands and feet. His arm was fractured and he suffered deep cuts on his back and foot.

He eventually lost consciousness.

Another woman travelling with them, identified as Agneta, was also attacked with machetes as she ran towards a nearby homestead, where she was rescued.

Steven says the attackers followed them towards the church and also destroyed a vehicle that had been driven into the compound for safety.

The Subaru he had been driving was parked near the church gate. It was later set ablaze.

Inside the church, people who had witnessed the attack contacted Steven's mother, Irene Adhiambo, to inform her that her son had been seriously injured.

A rescue team arrived about 30 minutes later and took him to hospital, where he received emergency treatment and had his wounds stitched.

His mother later arrived and arranged for him to be transferred to Nightingale Hospital in Kisumu the following day.

Steven says he was discharged after about three days, but his recovery has been slow.

He remains under medical care and says he continues to attend hospital appointments because his fractured arm and injuries to his back have not fully healed.

“I am still nursing the wounds. My arm is fractured and my back has not healed. I still have to go to hospital, but I cannot work,” he says.

The physical injuries have been compounded by the loss of the vehicle.

Steven says the vehicle was not his property. It belonged to a young widow, whom he describes as his sister, who had entrusted it to him so he could use it to generate income, support himself and help provide for his parents.

The  destruction of the vehicle therefore left him without a source of income just as his injuries made it impossible for him to work.

“I was only an agent. The vehicle was not mine. It belonged to a young widow ( my sister) who had given me to do business with it because I knew how to drive,” he says.

Steven says that after he was discharged from hospital, he contacted Zuena to discuss the vehicle and his situation.

He says he was told that the matter would be addressed and that he would receive assistance that would enable him to move forward.

According to Steven, when he later followed up, Zuena advised him to get a lawyer so that their lawyers could engage over the matter.

He says finding an advocate was difficult because he had no money.

Steven says subsequent attempts to communicate with Zuena became difficult and that he was at one point asked to communicate through text messages.

He has since appealed to leaders associated with Linda Mwananchi, including Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, asking for help as he continues to recover.

Steven says the issue is not simply about replacing a vehicle but restoring the livelihood he lost in the violence.

He also says he has not been paid for his driving services for August 15 and 16, although this claim has been disputed by Zuena.

“I was promised that after the hospital I would be assisted with some money so that I could get another vehicle and continue with my life, but up to now nothing has happened,” he says.

His mother says the family is now struggling because Steven was helping support the household before the attack.

Irene Adhiambo says her son had previously worked as a boda boda rider before his sister helped him access the vehicle and begin working as a taxi driver.

“My son was attacked like an animal. He was not a goon; he was doing his business,” she says.

She says the vehicle was reduced to ashes during the attack, leaving the family facing a financial burden they cannot afford.

“He was a breadwinner. I am a widow and now I am helpless. I am asking the Linda Mwananchi leaders to come in and see how my son can get a vehicle. If he is being asked to pay for the vehicle, where will we get the money?” she asks.

For Steven, the consequences have gone beyond the injuries he sustained on the road.

He cannot drive, cannot earn his daily income and is still required to attend hospital for treatment.

He says there are days when he struggles even to afford food.

“I cannot work. I need food and I still have hospital visits. I am still struggling,” he says.

Zuena disputes responsibility

Zuena has rejected the suggestion that she is responsible for replacing the vehicle, saying she has already done what she could for Steven after the attack.

She says four people were in the vehicle and that she only learnt later that the Subaru was uninsured.

According to Zuena, she did not know that the vehicle had no insurance at the time she travelled in it. She argues that driving an uninsured vehicle placed her and the other passengers at risk.

She says she took responsibility for Steven's medical treatment after the attack and ensured that he received care at a private hospital.

“The most I have been able to do, I have cleared your bill. I have gotten you very good private medical care. I have ensured you have been discharged,” she says.

Zuena says the medical treatment cost more than Sh300,000 and that she has records to support the payments.

She also says that after Steven complained that he could not work and needed money for food, she gave him some financial assistance.

However, she denies ever promising to buy him a new vehicle.

“When it came to matters of buying him a brand new car, I said no. I’m going to lawyer up because I cannot buy you a brand new car based on political violence,” she says.

Zuena says she was also a victim of the violence and should not be blamed for what happened.

“It’s not me who caused this political violence against us. All of us were attacked,” she says.

She further disputes Steven's claim that she did not pay him for his services and fuel.

According to Zuena, she paid him for the work he did on August 15 and 16 and says she has M-Pesa messages to demonstrate the payments.

She says she initially considered making an additional contribution towards Steven's recovery because of his circumstances but changed her position after he allegedly threatened to publish a story about her.

She maintains that the question of replacing the vehicle should be handled through the lawyers representing the two sides.

The dispute now leaves Steven facing what he describes as a double burden.

On one side, he is recovering from serious injuries that have kept him away from work since the Homa Bay violence. On the other, he has lost the vehicle through which he earned his livelihood and remains without a clear path to returning to work.

The August 16 violence has already left a trail of injuries, destroyed property and burnt vehicles in Homa Bay, with police arresting suspects as investigations into the events surrounding the rally continued.