Babu Owino, Orengo accuse Ruto, Wanga, Kaluma of orchestrating Homa Bay violence

Siaya Governor James Orengo and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino speaking at the DCI HQ on August 18, 2026. [Courtesy, Meta]

Siaya Governor James Orengo and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino have accused President William Ruto, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma of being behind the violence that disrupted the Linda Mwananchi political tour in Homa Bay on Sunday.

“This is an activity which is condoned by the President of the Republic of Kenya. We hold President Ruto to account for the deaths and the violence that took place in Homa Bay,” Orengo said.

The two leaders spoke on Tuesday as they accompanied Babu's aide Oliver Ochieng to DCI headquarters, over claims linking him to the violence seen in Homa Bay county.

Ochieng’s surrender came after law enforcement flagged him as a person of interest in the violence.

Babu framed his presence at the DCI offices as an act of solidarity, personally escorting his aide to cooperate with investigators while simultaneously challenging the direction of the inquiry.

Orengo, who described Ochieng as both a friend and a client, dismissed claims that the activist had been involved in organising or being part of the chaos blamed for attacking the Linda Mwananchi convoy.

Orengo said he had been with Ochieng in his vehicle and was prepared to corroborate his account.

Orengo accused the national government of complicity in the violence, claiming that the attacks could not have occurred on such a scale without the involvement or knowledge of security agencies.

He alleged that President Ruto had travelled to Kisumu and spent a night at State House ahead of the Homa Bay events to coordinate efforts aimed at preventing the Linda Mwananchi group from accessing parts of the county. Orengo also claimed that resources were provided by the head of state to facilitate the operation.

He further accused Governor Wanga, MP Kaluma and Homa Bay County Assembly Majority Leader Richard Ogindo of mobilising youths across the county to disrupt the planned rallies.

He compared the mobilisation and language used against Linda Mwananchi supporters to events preceding the 1994 Rwanda genocide, citing the alleged use of the word “kudni”, which he said means worms, to describe the political group.

Babu echoed the accusations, claiming that Wanga and Kaluma had been moving around Homa Bay for days before the rally, allegedly mobilising and paying youths to attack the Linda Mwananchi delegation.

He claimed the group encountered multiple roadblocks, which he referred to as “goondoms”, between Sindo and Homa Bay town.

According to Babu Owino, youths had also been deployed around Kabunde Airstrip to monitor the convoy’s movements, while others blocked roads leading into the town. Babu further alleged that Kaluma had called on youths to search hotels for members of Linda Mwananchi.

He linked the alleged instructions to the subsequent vandalism and looting reported at a hotel in Homa Bay town, where workers were also reportedly assaulted.

The two leaders questioned the conduct of police officers during the violence, claiming officers stood by as the convoy came under attack and accused the security agencies of failing to protect both lives and property. He said some police officers were themselves injured in the clashes, with Linda Mwananchi supporters rescuing at least one officer who had been attacked.

The accusations came as Ochieng presented himself to authorities to address claims that he was among 15 people arrested in Kisumu on Saturday, a day before the Homa Bay rally, and that he later escaped from police custody.

Ochieng denied the allegations and said he was tired of being pursued whenever Linda Mwananchi held political activities. “If there is a case against me, then let me be taken to court so we can settle it,” he said. His wife, Christine Okumu, also disputed the claim that he had escaped arrest, saying she was with him at their home in Kisumu at the time.

The group first went to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters in Nairobi but said they were denied the opportunity to write a statement. They later proceeded to Muthaiga Police Station, where they recorded a statement under OB Number 35 and were referred to the Regional Criminal Investigations Officer in Nyanza.

Orengo described the allegations against Ochieng as political targeting and accused the government of weaponising state agencies against people associated with Linda Mwananchi. “This is state terror,” he said, insisting that the group would use lawful and constitutional means to challenge what he described as government intimidation.