City under siege: Goon attacks, daylight robbery and murder leave Kisumu residents living in fear

Armed goons attacked a congregation at ACK Stephens Cathedral in Kisumu on July 13, 2026. [Michael Mute, Standard]

Kisumu city is on the edge as insecurity soars, daring goon attacks blossom amid fear and a lethargic response by law enforcement agencies, who are playing a spectator role as criminals unleash terror on residents.

So bad is the situation that barely a day passes without a violent criminal attack being reported. For some families, the search for missing relatives has become a waking nightmare, with some ending in tears in the city’s mortuaries at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) and Kisumu County Referral Hospital.