Irungu Nyakera fires gun as goons raid his Kisumu hotel

Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) patron Irungu Nyakera at a past interview with The Standard. [File, Standard]

Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) patron Irungu Nyakera on Wednesday fired warning shots to repel over 100 attackers who raided his hotel in Kisumu County.

The investor alleged the midday attack left several staff members injured and property of unknown value destroyed.

Nyakera noted that he was forced to use his firearm after police backup failed to arrive for nearly an hour.

"Upon hearing the commotion, I quickly went after them, shooting twice in the air as they fled," Nyakera explained.

He also warned police he would shoot anyone who entered the property again if backup continued to delay.

Nyakera further alleged that three weeks earlier, people working alongside the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA), the landlord of the premises, carted away merchandise and locked him out of the building.

He said a senior government official had ordered his eviction from the government-owned structure because of his DCP ties, and that the Nyanza region Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss had told him the official held personal interests in the property.

Nyakera said he has invested Sh235 million in the premises since 2019 and holds a 50-year lease, and vowed to remain.

"If he indeed wants to take over the property, let him come and we do a valuation and I sell it to him. Sending goons here, chanting 'hatutaki mkikuyu', will not drive me away. I am an investor, but I am not stupid," added Nyakera.

On their part, LBDA said that after the 2019 lease agreement the Fairways hotel defaulted on its rent payments and in June 3, 2025, it entered into a voluntary consent agreement admitting indebtedness of Sh27.4 million.

“The Consent provided for terms of payment of the rent then outstanding and the default terms thereto. Copy of consent attached. Despite this formal acknowledgement, Fairways systematically breached the repayment terms and failed to honour the repayment plans,” said LBDA.

It said that so far, the hotel owes it Sh25.9 million and had used the judiciary to frustrate the recovery of the rent.

It said that it terminated their contract on February 12, 2026, saying the hotel is unlawfully occupying and trespassing on its premises.

“We call upon the police to immediately initiate investigations as to the actions of the said party who has made declarations that he is ready to shoot anyone at the premises and who has confirmed that he has fired two shots yet he has no right in the property.”