“Government Has Failed”: Kalonzo Musyoka Slams Security Lapses After Tseikuru Massacre
Politics Updated: 01 May 2026 14:19 EAT
Wiper Patriotic Front Leader Kalonzo Musyoka address the press over Tseikuru Massacre where at least seven people were murdered
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka on April 30, 2026 led a united opposition front in launching a scathing attack on the government over what they termed a grave failure to prevent and respond to the deadly Tseikuru attack in Mwingi North, Kitui County.
Speaking during a press conference, Kalonzo revealed that he received news of the killings while on a coastal tour, describing the incident as “dastardly” and “cowardly,” with eight innocent lives lost in a brutal assault.
“We received news of the attack in Tseikuru when we were on the coastal tour, and the attack was dastardly, cowardly. Eight people, innocent, were killed,” Kalonzo said, adding a personal dimension to the tragedy.
He disclosed that one of the victims was closely known to him, stating, “One of them is actually a daughter to my immediate neighbor at Muumoni in Tseikuru, and some of them are even my distant relatives.”
The opposition leader outlined the chain of events leading to the attack, suggesting it was part of a cycle of retaliatory violence that had been escalating in the region over recent days.
“We gather that that was a retaliatory attack because some other four young Somali people had been killed several days before that, and before that, a young man had been killed,” he said.
Kalonzo warned that the situation was delicate and historically rooted, recalling past efforts to restore peace during his tenure as area Member of Parliament.
“After 28 years of being Member of Parliament in that area, we had actually brought this kind of thing to an end,” he noted, highlighting previous stability in the region.
He described how communities had coexisted peacefully, particularly through trade at the Tseikuru livestock market, where Somali traders and local residents interacted freely.
“Every Thursday, Somalis were easily bringing lots of goats to the livestock market in Tseikuru and became a wonderful interaction of communities fighting poverty together,” he said.
However, he lamented that criminal elements had since infiltrated and disrupted that harmony, stating, “Now, criminals have come in between them—between the two communities.”
Kalonzo recalled past government interventions, including security operations involving senior officials, which had previously helped contain similar conflicts.
“One of the things I remember with the late Michuki… we took those army helicopters… and we brought that nonsense to an end,” he said, referencing earlier crackdowns on insecurity.
He also pointed to existing but underutilised security infrastructure, including police stations established in the region that remain understaffed.
“Governor Malombe has put in place some six police stations. All that needs to happen is to populate those police stations,” Kalonzo stated.
The opposition called on the Inspector General of Police to urgently deploy officers to the facilities, arguing that failure to do so had left communities exposed.
He further cited a recent killing of a 14-year-old boy as a trigger that heightened tensions and anger among residents in Mwingi.
“For as long as I can remember, Mwingi town has never witnessed the kind of anger and fury that was evident yesterday,” he said.
Kalonzo sharply criticised remarks allegedly made by senior government officials, accusing them of inciting division and deepening tensions.
He claimed that a government minister had issued inflammatory statements restricting opposition access to parts of Northern Kenya.
“He said us in opposition should never be allowed to cross the River Tana into Garissa, and if that happens, we should be assaulted,” Kalonzo alleged.
He rejected such assertions, insisting that all parts of Kenya belong equally to every citizen regardless of political affiliation or ethnicity.
“We must remind them that Wajir, Garissa, Mandera are part and parcel of the Kenyan territory,” he said firmly.
The opposition leader warned that such rhetoric had already instilled fear among communities, particularly minority groups living in affected regions.
“I’ve received telephone calls from community leaders in Wajir fearing for their lives now because of what was said,” he revealed.
Kalonzo criticised the lack of response from institutions tasked with promoting national cohesion, saying inflammatory remarks had gone unchecked.
He maintained that the violence should not be viewed through an ethnic lens, stressing that criminal actors were solely responsible for the killings.
“The criminals who executed the Tseikuru massacre do not represent any community. They are simply criminals on a revenge mission,” he said.
He urged residents to avoid retaliatory violence, warning that escalating the conflict could lead to widespread instability.
“Therefore, we must not honor them by making their violence the beginning of war,” he cautioned.
Kalonzo also called on pastoralist communities to cooperate with security agencies in identifying and apprehending the perpetrators.
“You are not criminals. Cooperate with security forces. Help identify the perpetrators who hide behind your great community,” he appealed.
The opposition welcomed efforts by Kitui Governor Julius Malombe and Garissa Governor Nadhif Jama to convene peace talks aimed at de-escalating tensions.
Kalonzo expressed readiness to personally participate in peace-building initiatives, including visiting the in an aim to negotiate peaceful reforms directly from the grassroots.
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FELIX MAKONA
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