Sifuna pledges vehicle replacement for Kisumu taxi driver injured in Homa Bay political chaos

Sharing a photo of The Standard newspaper cutting highlighting the incident, Sifuna stated on X: "I have read this story in today’s Standard. We will replace your vehicle Steven. The @LindaMwananchi_ team will be in touch."

According to the newspaper report by Rogers Otiso, taxi driver Steven Otieno - a resident of Nyalenda, Kisumu - suffered severe injuries including machete wounds and a fractured arm during political violence in Homa Bay on August 15 and 16. 

More than a month after the incident, he remains unable to return to work or meet basic needs.

Otieno had been hired to transport Abbie Zuena (also known as Abigail Gikonyo) to a Linda Mwananchi rally. He picked her up from the airport on August 15 at around 6:30 PM and drove her to her residence before taking her to Mlimani the following day, where rally organizers were mobilizing before departing for Homa Bay.

While returning from Homa Bay around 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM on August 16, the report says, Otieno encountered group of youths armed with machetes and rungus.

"They demanded everything from us, our phones and money. One of them asked for Sh100. I gave him Sh100 and another one asked for another Sh100, which I also gave," Otieno recounted.

Although one group directed them toward a nearby church for safety, another group surrounded the vehicle, pulled the occupants out, and attacked them. 

Otieno suffered deep cuts to his face, back, arm, hands, and feet, as well as a fractured arm, before losing consciousness. 

Another female passenger, identified as Agneta, was also attacked with a machete as she fled.

The attackers followed them to the church compound and set the vehicle ablaze. Otieno was rescued about 30 minutes later and taken to a hospital for emergency treatment. 

His mother, Irene Adhiambo, later arranged for him to be transferred to Nightingale Hospital in Kisumu, where he was discharged after three days.

The destruction of the Subaru Legacy left Otieno without a source of income. 

He clarified that he did not own the car; it belonged to his sister, a young widow who had entrusted it to him to generate income for himself, her, and their parents. 

Prior to driving the taxi, Otieno worked as a boda boda rider. 

Expressing her distress, his mother noted that her son was a breadwinner who was doing his job when he was attacked "like an animal".

"He was not a goon; he was doing his work. He was a breadwinner. I am a widow and now I am helpless. I am asking the Linda Mwananchi leaders to come in and see how my son can get a vehicle. If he is being asked to pay for the vehicle, where will we get the money?” she asks.

Otieno also stated that he was promised financial assistance to secure another vehicle upon discharge. 

"I was promised that after being discharged from hospital, I would be assisted with some money so that I could get another vehicle and continue with my life, but up to now, nothing has happened," he lamented. 

He also claimed that he had not been paid for his driving services on August 15 and 16 and had appealed to leaders associated with Linda Mwananchi, including Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, for help.

However, Abbie Zuena disputed these claims. She stated that she had taken full responsibility for Otieno's medical care at a private hospital, spending over Ksh. 300,000 for which she has records, and provided financial assistance upon his discharge. 

She denied owing him for his driving services and shared M-Pesa messages to substantiate the payments.

Regarding the vehicle, Zuena maintained that four people were inside the car and that she only learned it was uninsured after the incident. She denied promising to purchase a new car. 

"When it comes to matters of buying him a new car, I said no. I'm going to lawyer up because I cannot buy you a brand new car based on political violence," Zuena said, adding that she was also a victim and that any vehicle dispute should be handled legally between both parties' lawyers.

Following Senator Sifuna's public statement, the Linda Mwananchi team is set to reach out to Otieno to address the vehicle replacement directly.