A jubilant political procession through Kisii ended in panic, flying stones, and the death of a young campaign volunteer, whose final moments have become a grim symbol of Kenya’s increasingly combustible political climate, barely a year before the 2027 General Election.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka on Monday, July 6, gave the most detailed account yet of how Vincent Osiemo, popularly known as Mapinduzi, died after violence erupted during the Linda Mwananchi convoy in Keumbu, describing a frantic escape from an armed mob that left one supporter fatally injured and many others traumatised.
Speaking during a morning segment on Citizen TV, Onyonka recounted that the day had begun with a sense of optimism.
“When we arrived in Kisii town, it was an astounding function; it was very good. There was no issue,” he recalled.
That calm, however, quickly dissolved as the convoy headed towards Keroka.
According to the senator, more than 1,000 youths armed with stones, bows, arrows and jembe handles blocked the route, accusing the opposition team of insulting their local MP.
The confrontation rapidly descended into chaos, forcing the convoy to accelerate through Keumbu in a desperate bid to escape.
It was during that frantic flight, Onyonka said, that Mapinduzi met his death.
“As we were escaping from Keumbu, the young man… slipped and fell out when the vehicle he was in was going over bumps at a market area and hit his head on the ground,” he said.
Mapinduzi, a member of the sound team accompanying the convoy, reportedly lost his footing while riding in one of the campaign vehicles as it sped over traffic bumps. The impact proved fatal.
Richard Onyonka: The armed youth in Keumbu were sitting at the police station with the police officers until we arrived
Sam: With weapons?
Richard Onyonka: Yes, it’s a fact. pic.twitter.com/vncadJIz7s
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 6, 2026
The senator painted a picture of a convoy under siege.
He said stones rained down on the fleeing vehicles, with one smashing into the car carrying former Chief Justice David Maraga.
“A stone crossed over to where I was sitting,” Onyonka recounted, adding that the driver narrowly steered the vehicle past the attackers.
Even after escaping Keumbu, he claimed, another organised group awaited the convoy in Keroka before supporters managed to repel it.
He further alleged the attackers had been mobilised to disrupt the opposition rally and discourage attendance.
The death has deepened fears over Kenya’s deteriorating political atmosphere, where rallies increasingly unfold beneath the shadow of organised violence rather than democratic competition.
READ ALSO: Davis Lichuma: Missing Activist Discovered Fighting for His Life
Police have launched investigations into the attack and arrested several suspects as detectives seek to establish the precise circumstances surrounding Mapinduzi’s fatal fall.
Meanwhile, his grieving family has appealed for justice, insisting those behind the violence be identified and prosecuted.
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