NLP Calls for National Emergency Declaration Over Surging Violence in Mwingi
NLP Calls for National Emergency Declaration Over Surging Violence in Mwingi
NLP Calls for National Emergency Declaration Over Surging Violence in Mwingi
The National Liberal Party has formally requested the government to classify the rising wave of attacks in Mwingi and along the busy Mwingi–Garissa road as a national catastrophe. The party warns that without swift intervention, Kenya could descend into conflict between communities.
Party leader Dr. Augustus Kyalo Muli issued the urgent appeal after a recent assault in Ukasi reportedly resulted in the death of a young child and left several passenger buses under attack.
Disturbing video clips shared on social media show buses with shattered windows and terrified drivers speeding away as residents lit tyres on the roadway. The chaos left hundreds of travellers stuck with no way to proceed.
The Ukasi incident follows earlier bloodshed in Tseikuru’s Kwa Kamari village, where armed attackers in Probox vehicles killed seven people using guns and machetes. The assailants also set fire to local shops and a petrol station, forcing villagers to seek refuge in the surrounding bushes.
Dr. Muli described the violence as a dangerous pattern of revenge attacks along ethnic lines. He insisted that the Inspector General and his deputy should remain stationed in Mwingi until all those responsible are brought to justice. In his view, asking people to remain calm while killers remain at large is no different from giving up.
The NLP is pushing for the rapid deployment of National Police Reservists, GSU personnel, and, if needed, military units to protect the highway and offer armed security for public transport vehicles. The party stresses that this road serves as a vital trade route for northern Kenya and that shutting it down is devastating the Ukambani economy.
The party’s statement also calls for the arrest of anyone inciting violence, pointing out that the DCI has already taken into custody a candidate from Garissa whose video clips appeared to encourage retaliatory attacks. The NLP labels ethnic incitement as an act of terrorism.
To reduce immediate tensions, the NLP proposes a peace summit within the next two days. The meeting would involve elders, religious leaders, and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, all meeting under tight security in Mwingi. The party notes that no community ultimately benefits from a cycle of revenge killings.
Dr. Muli made a direct plea to local residents, arguing that attacking a bus carrying innocent children because of a disagreement over grazing land is morally wrong. He also said that burning down shops because a herder was killed is equally indefensible. Such acts, he explained, do not protect communities but instead destroy them from within.
He traced the current crisis back to decades of official neglect, referencing a post‑independence government paper that labelled 23 counties as low‑potential areas, leaving them without proper roads, water systems, or schools. According to Dr. Muli, that historical neglect explains why young people now throw stones instead of studying, and why criminal gangs find it easy to recruit. He highlighted the NLP’s development agenda — including the Thwake Dam, revival of Kitui textile industries, and technical training linked to factory jobs — as the real long‑term solution.
Appealing directly to President William Ruto, Dr. Muli demanded the same sense of urgency given to other parts of the country. He argued that the tragedy at Kwa Kamari should receive the same attention and resources as any incident in a wealthy neighbourhood like Westlands. He also asked two pointed questions: where is the government in this moment of crisis, and where is the United Opposition when the people most need support?
He ended by stating that with seven lives lost in one village, a child killed aboard a bus, and a major highway brought to a standstill, the situation meets every definition of a national emergency.
