Natembeya seeks explanation as governors’ security dispute widens

George Natembeya has asked Inspector-General Douglas Kanja for a formal explanation after saying officers assigned to protect him were withdrawn for a second time.

The Trans Nzoia governor’s statement on 15 October questioned the reasons and procedures behind the decision. He invoked the requirement for lawful and fair administrative action.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen defended the government’s position in remarks during the North Rift tour. He accused politicians of using public offices and state-provided protection to organise violence. Those accusations are not findings of guilt.

Siaya Governor James Orengo separately said his own security had again been withdrawn. His statement did not establish who issued the instruction or the reason for it.

The accounts should not be collapsed into a single proven explanation for both governors’ cases. Murkomen’s remarks concerned Natembeya, while Orengo’s allegation requires its own response and verification.

The unresolved questions concern the deployment decisions, the grounds given to each governor and whether the applicable procedures were followed.