Irungu Nyakera’s hotel was attacked in a Kisumu goons raid, and the early-morning chaos has everyone talking about land fights, politics and safety in the lakeside city. The former principal secretary and Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) member posted a long message this morning, March 11, 2026, saying more than one hundred people stormed his property around five am, damaging things, hurting staff and tying up a female security guard.
He rushed out, fired two warning shots into the air to scare them off, and then called the Officer Commanding the Station for help that never came. An hour later he messaged the OCS, warning he would shoot anyone else stepping onto his land, hoping the words got shared in police groups.
Nyakera, who ran for the Nairobi governor’s seat, ties this latest trouble to a bigger dispute over the building, which sits on Lake Basin Development Authority land. He says three weeks back, similar goons linked to the landlord LBDA showed up on orders from Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, carted away goods and locked everyone out.
When he reported it, police told him no tenant from opposition parties like DCP could stay in government buildings. The Nyanza DCI boss even mentioned Omollo had personal stakes in the place, which clicked since the PS once headed LBDA and his cousin runs it now.
The businessman laid out his side clearly. He took over a rundown shell in 2019, poured in over two hundred thirty-five million shillings, as court papers show, and holds a fifty-year lease.
If someone wants the spot, let them come do a proper valuation and buy it fairly, he said. Sending crowds chanting ‘Hatutaki Mkikuyu’ will not chase him away. He describes himself as an investor who is prepared to defend his position.
CCTV clips making rounds show the raid in action: masked men rushing in, breaking stuff, and assaulting workers while shouting those ethnic words. Nyakera shared photos of the damage too, which included smashed windows, scattered items, and staff with visible injuries.
The female guard tied up stands out as especially rough, drawing sharp anger online. People posted about how a hotel full of sleeping guests could turn dangerous fast with no quick police response.
Reactions came fast and strong. Supporters called it blatant intimidation against opposition voices, saying politics should not touch private business like this. Others pointed to the ethnic chants as a worrying sign of old divisions flaring up again, especially in Nyanza, where outsiders sometimes face suspicion.
Comments online mixed sympathy for Nyakera with questions about why police delayed so long and whether high-level instructions really played a part. A few wondered if this ties into broader tensions around government property leases and who gets to operate where.
Nyakera built his profile through public service, including time at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre and as a PS before jumping into party politics with the DCP. His investments stretch beyond this hotel into other areas, but this spot in Kisumu became a flashpoint.
He stresses the money sunk into upgrades, turning a shell into something valuable that brings jobs and stays open to guests. The lease gives him rights, he says, and any move to push him out needs to follow the law, not crowds or backroom orders.
This incident adds to ongoing chatter about security in business spots, especially when politics mixes in. Hotels, restaurants and shops in Kisumu and other towns sometimes get caught in local power plays or ethnic talk that turns ugly.
Nyakera’s warning shots and threat to defend his place highlight how far some owners go when they feel unprotected. Police have not commented publicly yet, but the story keeps spreading with calls for an investigation into who sent the group and why backup took so long.
For now the hotel deals with cleaning up, injured staff and questions about what happens next. Nyakera made clear he stays put, ready to talk sale if terms make sense, but no forced exit through threats.
The raid at his Kisumu property shines light on deeper fights over land control, influence and fair play in a country where business often rubs against politics. People watch closely to see if this blows over quietly or brings more heat to already tense relations in the region.
