NLP calls for declaration of Mwingi insecurity a National Emergency

In a statement on Wednesday, party leader Dr Augustus Kyalo Muli raised alarm over fresh attacks in Ukasi, where an incident allegedly left a child dead and passenger buses under siege. Video footage circulating online shows shattered windscreens and terrified drivers fleeing as residents blocked the highway with burning tyres, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded.

The latest violence follows a series of deadly attacks in Tseikuru’s Kwa Kamari village, where seven people were reportedly shot and hacked to death by bandits travelling in Probox vehicles. Shops and a petrol station were also torched, forcing residents to flee into nearby bushland for safety.

Police reports indicate a disturbing pattern of retaliation killings in the area. On March 29, a Kamba herdsman was killed. On March 30, four Somali men were allegedly killed in revenge attacks. On April 25, seven Kambas were massacred in Kwa Kamari. On April 28, the Ukasi bus attack claimed another young life. In total, at least 14 people have died within 30 days.

“This is a dangerous cycle of ethnic retaliation that could escalate into full-blown inter-community war,” said Dr. Muli. He urged Inspector General Douglas Kanja and Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat to remain deployed in Mwingi until all perpetrators are arrested. “Calling for calm while killers roam free is surrender,” he added.

The NLP is now calling for the immediate deployment of National Police Reservists, the General Service Unit (GSU), and, if necessary, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to secure the corridor and provide armed escorts for public transport vehicles. The party emphasized that the highway is a critical economic lifeline linking Ukambani to northern Kenya.

The statement also called for the arrest of individuals accused of incitement, noting that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has already detained a political aspirant from Garissa whose video allegedly fueled retaliatory attacks. “Ethnic mobilisation is a form of terrorism,” the party said.

To de-escalate tensions, NLP proposed a ceasefire dialogue within 48 hours, bringing together community elders, religious leaders, and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) under tight security in Mwingi. “No community wins a blood feud,” the statement read.

Dr Muli also appealed directly to residents to avoid retaliatory violence. “Stoning buses carrying children over pasture disputes is evil. Burning shops because a herder was killed is equally wrong. You are not defending your people — you are destroying them,” he said.

He further attributed the underlying tensions to decades of marginalisation, citing historical government classifications of arid and semi-arid counties as “low potential,” which he said led to chronic underinvestment in roads, water, and education. He pointed to development initiatives such as Thwake Dam, Kitui textiles projects, and TVET-to-factory programmes as key long-term solutions to insecurity.

In an appeal to President William Ruto, Dr Muli urged equal urgency in responding to the crisis. “Treat Kwa Kamari with the same urgency as Westlands. Deploy the same resources. Demand the same accountability,” he said.

He concluded by reiterating the urgency of the situation: “Seven people dead in one village, a child killed on a bus, and a highway shut down. This is a national emergency.”