KITALE, Kenya — Severe political tensions have erupted in Trans Nzoia County following allegations that County Assembly Deputy Speaker Obed Mwale Mahanga was abducted at gunpoint.
The claim was made on Monday via Facebook by Abigael Gikonyo, popularly known as Abbie Zuena, a member of the Linda Mwananchi Movement’s (LMM) Digital Media and Publicity Team within its Presidential Campaign Secretariat.
According to Zuena, security agents intercepted and seized Mwale, who serves as the Member of County Assembly (MCA) for Matisi Ward. Describing Mwale as a pivotal leader within the LMM-P structure, Zuena expressed outrage over what she characterized as relentless targeting, writing that a member of their movement is arrested nearly every week.
Zuena openly accused law enforcement authorities of executing a systematic campaign intended to intimidate, frustrate, and break the resolve of the political group.
She insisted that such heavy-handed tactics would fail to deter the movement’s agenda while issuing an urgent demand for Mwale’s immediate and unconditional release.
Mwale is widely recognized as a staunch defender and key key political ally of Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, serving as a prominent advocate for the Linda Mwananchi cause across the region.
Unconfirmed reports circulating on social media indicate that he was snatched by armed men near the Saiwa Safari Hotel on the outskirts of Kitale town.
Following the news, supporters of the movement reacted swiftly online, expressing deep concern for Mwale’s safety and demanding complete transparency regarding his whereabouts.
Neither the National Police Service nor the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had issued an official statement confirming the grounds or circumstances of his alleged detention.
This incident marks the latest in a series of reported detentions targeting Natembeya’s inner circle amid escalating political friction between local county leaders and the national administration. The heightened fallout comes as Linda Mwananchi intensifies its nationwide structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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