Natembeya and Orengo demand answers over security withdrawal

Two governors aligned with the Linda Mwananchi Movement accuse the state of using police protection as a political weapon

By Janet Wangaru

Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya and Siaya Governor James Orengo yesterday demanded a formal explanation from the Inspector General of Police after their security details were withdrawn, with Natembeya describing the move as a repeat pattern that demands legal accountability.

Addressing a press conference, Natembeya said officers attached to his detail had been directed to report immediately to their stations or headquarters — the second such withdrawal he has experienced. “I call upon the Inspector-General of the National Police Service to provide a formal explanation of the reasons for this decision and to clarify whether the applicable security procedures have been followed,” he said, citing a High Court ruling of 3 June 2025 that found withdrawing security without prior written notice violated Article 47 of the Constitution.

Orengo was characteristically blunt. “Today, the government withdrew my security for the nth time. I remain unbowed,” he said, signing off with his signature defiance: “WANTAM.”

Both governors are prominent voices in the Linda Mwananchi Movement, and the withdrawals arrive against a charged political backdrop. Natembeya is locked in a standoff with President William Ruto over the planned launch of the Masinde Muliro Market and Trans Nzoia’s new county headquarters — projects the governor insists were built entirely with county funds, without a single shilling from the national government.

“Come and open it,” Natembeya said of the KSh 500 million county assembly complex. “However, when you leave, I will remove the plate bearing your name and replace it with mine.”

When security becomes a political instrument, defiance becomes the only dignified response.

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