There was tension in Kisumu early Wednesday morning after former Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera reportedly fired warning shots into the air following an alleged raid on a hotel linked to him.
Nyakera claimed that more than 100 suspected goons stormed the hotel at around 5am, attacking workers, damaging property and temporarily overpowering security personnel at the premises located within the Lake Basin Development Mall.
In a statement shared on social media, the politician and patron of the Democracy for Citizens Party said he was present at the facility during the incident and acted after hearing commotion within the compound.
According to Nyakera, the group allegedly assaulted workers and tied up a female security guard before vandalising property inside the hotel compound.
“Over 100 goons attacked my hotel in Kisumu, damaging property and injuring our staff, including tying up the security lady,” Nyakera said.
He claimed that upon responding to the disturbance, he fired two shots into the air in an attempt to disperse the attackers as they fled the premises.
The politician further alleged that several employees sustained injuries during the incident, although the full extent of the damage and the number of injured staff members had not been confirmed by authorities at the time of reporting.
Nyakera also claimed that he contacted the local police station seeking reinforcement but alleged that help did not arrive in time.
He stated that after waiting for about an hour without assistance, he sent a message to the area Officer Commanding Station (OCS) indicating that he would defend the property if anyone attempted to return to the premises.
The incident comes barely three weeks after another alleged raid at the same hotel, where Nyakera said individuals stormed the facility and made away with merchandise while briefly locking out staff members from accessing the premises.
The former PS has linked the attacks to political differences, claiming that some government officials are behind attempts to push him out of the property due to his association with the opposition.
Nyakera further alleged that he had been informed by security officers that a senior government official had directed that he should not continue operating from the building because of his political affiliation.
However, these claims have not been independently verified, and the government had not issued an official response to the allegations by the time of publication.
The developments come amid heightened political tensions as leaders position themselves ahead of the next election cycle, with Nyakera recently criticising government-led demolitions affecting traders along Thika Superhighway in Nairobi.
