Siaya Governor and senior counsel James Orengo has accused the authorities of using the criminal justice system to target opposition supporters.
This is after two out of eight of their supporters who were released on Monday appeared in court over charges linked to recent political events.
Orengo said two of the accused had taken plea, while six others had travelled to their home counties and were expected to appear in court on Friday, when a ruling on bail is due.
He said he was confident the court would grant bail, arguing that the offences facing the accused including preparation to commit a felony and malicious damage to property were bailable under Kenyan law.
“In Kenya today, all offences are bailable, including murder,” he said after court proceedings on Tuesday. He added that there was no hurdle at all to the accused being released pending the hearing of their cases.
Orengo also criticised the handling of the case, saying warrants of arrest had initially been obtained after the defence had left court. He said the defence successfully challenged the warrants, which were later lifted.
According to Orengo, the court has since opted to issue summons instead of warrants for the remaining accused, describing the move as more consistent with democratic principles and the protections contained in Kenya’s Bill of Rights.
He alleged that the law was being applied selectively, claiming some people had been arrested simply because they were wearing T-shirts associated with opposition figures.
Among those detained, he said, was a man wearing a T-shirt bearing the name of the late opposition leader Raila Odinga, despite having nothing to do with events at St Stephen’s Cathedral on July 12, 2026.
He also cited arrests of people wearing clothing branded with the names of other opposition politicians.
Orengo said these incidents suggested police were targeting supporters of the opposition rather than conducting impartial investigations.
He further accused the government of attempting to restrict opposition activities through arrests and prosecutions, claiming it was using the justice system to limit political space.
“The state has never succeeded before, and nothing will stop us from continuing to assert our rights,” he said.
The Siaya governor also criticised the government’s handling of opposition rallies, alleging that political meetings had proceeded peacefully in other parts of the country but faced violence and disruption in Kisumu and the wider region.
He claimed there was a coordinated effort to prevent opposition leaders from reaching supporters in the area, describing it as a conspiracy backed by violence and financial inducements.
Orengo also criticised President William Ruto’s leadership, saying Kenyans were dissatisfied despite government promises of economic transformation.
He argued that arrests and harassment of opposition figures would not prevent demands for political change.
On reports that members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) could be offered the deputy president’s position, Orengo dismissed the speculation as political manoeuvring.
He said government figures had promoted different potential candidates depending on the region they were visiting, citing references to Hassan Joho, Wycliffe Oparanya and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula at different times.
Orengo said such promises could not be taken seriously without formal agreements, describing them as cheap politics designed to respond to changing political dynamics.
The prosecution has not publicly responded to Orengo’s allegations. Court proceedings are expected to resume on Friday, when the court is due to rule on bail applications for the accused.
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