{"id":160054,"date":"2026-04-09T15:54:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T15:54:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/kisumu-declares-zero-tolerance-for-political-violence"},"modified":"2026-04-09T16:51:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T16:51:25","slug":"kisumu-declares-zero-tolerance-for-political-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/kisumu-declares-zero-tolerance-for-political-violence","title":{"rendered":"Kisumu Declares Zero Tolerance for Political Violence"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ap-summary\" dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">\n<h4>What You Need to Know<\/h4>\n<p>Kisumu County has declared a zero tolerance policy towards political violence following the recent attack on Senator Godfrey Osotsi. Deputy Governor Mathew Owili emphasized the importance of law and order, stating that such acts threaten democratic values and the rule of law. The county leadership has called for swift action from security agencies to ensure justice is served and to maintain peace.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"ap-article-header-tag\"> <strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Kenya. <\/strong> <\/span>Kisumu will not tolerate any form of political violence, intimidation or criminal conduct within its jurisdiction, the county government has declared.<\/p>\n<p>This follows the brutal attack on Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Deputy Governor Mathew Owili on behalf of Governor Anyang\u2019 Nyong\u2019o said the county warned that those seeking to undermine peace and stability through acts of brutality are gravely mistaken.<\/p>\n<p>Owili said the law will catch up with those behind the attack and justice will be served.<\/p>\n<p>The deputy governor warned that such acts strike at the core of the rule of law and threaten the democratic values that underpin society.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis brazen violence has no place in our society. It is not only an attack on a leader but also an assault on the very fabric of civility, tolerance and peaceful coexistence that defines Kisumu,\u201d Owili said.<\/p>\n<p>He said Kisumu remains a bastion of order, dignity and respect for human rights, adding that the county will not allow individuals to destabilise peace.<\/p>\n<p>The governor urged the National Police Service and other security agencies to act swiftly and decisively to investigate the incident, apprehend those responsible and ensure they face the full force of the law without delay or exception.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere must be no room for impunity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The deputy governor said democracy thrives on tolerance and mutual respect, and that every individual has the right to express differing opinions without fear of intimidation, harassment or violence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDivergence of views is not a justification for lawlessness. It is a cornerstone of democratic engagement and must always be respected,\u201d Owili said.<\/p>\n<p>The county leadership also expressed solidarity with Senator Osotsi, wishing him a swift recovery.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe stand with him and reiterate our commitment to a safe, peaceful, and orderly Kisumu for all residents and visitors.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Kisumu has a history of political tension and violence, particularly during election periods. The region has often been a focal point for political activism and dissent, reflecting broader national issues in Kenya. The recent attack on Senator Osotsi underscores ongoing challenges related to political intolerance and the need for robust measures to protect democratic processes and human rights in the area. Ensuring safety and stability is crucial for fostering a conducive environment for political engagement and civic participation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ap-article-footer-note\">Find more news and analyses on <span class=\"ap-highlight-country\">Kenya<\/span> on the <span class=\"ap-highlight-brand\">Africa Press<\/span> website<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What You Need to Know Kisumu County has declared a zero tolerance policy towards political violence following the recent attack on Senator Godfrey Osotsi. Deputy Governor Mathew Owili emphasized the importance of law and order, stating that such acts threaten democratic values and the rule of law. The county leadership has called for swift action [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":160053,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[7965,4097,544,574,15844,5988],"class_list":["post-160054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-democracy","tag-godfrey-osotsi","tag-kenya","tag-kisumu","tag-law-enforcement","tag-political-violence"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Kisumu Declares Zero Tolerance for Political Violence - kenya<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Kisumu County vows to combat political violence after the attack on Senator Godfrey Osotsi, ensuring justice and peace.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/kisumu-declares-zero-tolerance-for-political-violence\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kisumu Declares Zero Tolerance for Political Violence\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kisumu County vows to combat political violence after the attack on Senator Godfrey Osotsi, ensuring justice and peace.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/kisumu-declares-zero-tolerance-for-political-violence\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"kenya\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-09T15:54:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-09T16:51:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/kenya\/sites\/28\/2026\/04\/sm_1775753182.828675.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"911\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/kisumu-declares-zero-tolerance-for-political-violence#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/kisumu-declares-zero-tolerance-for-political-violence\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Kisumu Declares Zero Tolerance for Political Violence\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-09T15:54:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-09T16:51:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/kisumu-declares-zero-tolerance-for-political-violence\"},\"wordCount\":465,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/kisumu-declares-zero-tolerance-for-political-violence#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/kenya\/sites\/28\/2026\/04\/sm_1775753182.828675.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"democracy\",\"Godfrey Osotsi\",\"Kenya\",\"Kisumu\",\"law enforcement\",\"Political Violence\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/kisumu-declares-zero-tolerance-for-political-violence#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/kisumu-declares-zero-tolerance-for-political-violence\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/kenya\/all-news\/kisumu-declares-zero-tolerance-for-political-violence\",\"name\":\"Kisumu Declares Zero Tolerance for Political Violence - 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