Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga has criticized political leaders in the region, accusing them of fueling insecurity by using hired goons.
Speaking during the burial of Hannington Were on June 6, at Matungu in Kakamega County, Odinga said leaders must take responsibility for the rising violence. Hannington, son of former Matungu MP David Were, was killed in a night attack in Kisumu last month.
In an emotional address, Odinga admitted that leaders, including herself, have failed young people.
“As I stood there, looking at Hannington’s casket, I could not hide the truth,” she said. “I had to look within and accuse myself alongside my fellow leaders in Kisumu. We failed Hannington, and we are failing our youth,” stated Ruth Odinga.
Ruth Odinga Blames Youth Goonism on Politics, Calls for Unity in ODM
Odinga said the growing insecurity is tied to a political culture in which young people are given small cash handouts rather than real opportunities.
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“For far too long, political leaders have promoted a dangerous culture of goonism, giving young people a mere Sh200 when what they need are jobs, empowerment, and safe neighborhoods,” she said.
She stated that the situation is a problem created by leaders themselves, warning that the exploitation of youth has led to serious insecurity in the region.
Odinga urged politicians to stop using young people for political violence and instead focus on job creation and long-term solutions.
According to Odinga, Hannington’s death should be a turning point in how leaders engage and support the youth.
The Women Representative also called for unity within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), warning that internal divisions could weaken the party. Odinga criticized the rivalry between the “Wantam” and “Tutam” camps, calling for an immediate end to the divisions.
“If we want to be taken seriously at the national level, we must remember that politics is a game of numbers and we need every single one of them,” she said.
Odinga urged party members to set aside their differences and unite under a single leadership to strengthen ODM’s position.
She called on those fueling divisions within the party to end the infighting and unite, stressing that ODM’s strength lies in working together under one leadership.
Odinga warned that continued disunity could weaken the party, while unity would make it more formidable.
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Hannington Were Fatally Stabbed While Walking to Buy Food in Kisumu
The son of former Matungu Member of Parliament David Were was killed in a night attack on Saturday, May 23, 2026.
Hannington Were, 39, died after the incident, which was later reported at Obunga Police Station on Sunday morning.
According to a witness, Hannington had been walking with a friend along Nyerere Road toward Mamba Hotel to buy food when they were attacked.
His father said the two had chosen to walk after failing to find boda boda transport.
“They decided to walk because there were no boda bodas along the way. When they reached the Makini School area, they were attacked by boda boda riders,” he said.
The injured pair were rushed to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, but Hannington was pronounced dead on arrival.
His father revealed that he had suffered stab wounds to the back and had also been struck on the head with a metal rod.
He described his son, who worked as a compliance officer at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), as a quiet individual with no known disputes at work or within the community.
The father also noted that Hannington was not known to go out at night, adding that even his wife was unaware he had left the house at the time of the attack.
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