Luanda MP Dick Maungu…Photo/CG
NAIROBI, Kenya
Political tensions flared in western Kenya after Luanda MP Dick Maungu was named to replace Bumula MP Jack Wamboka in a parliamentary role, triggering protests that disrupted transport and heightened uncertainty in Bumula Constituency.
Residents took to the streets in parts of Bumula on Thursday, blocking sections of the busy Nairobi–Malaba Road — a key regional corridor linking Kenya to Uganda — as anger mounted over the leadership changes.
The demonstrations briefly paralyzed transport along the Mumias–Bungoma stretch, with protesters lighting bonfires and barricading roads.
The unrest followed the elevation of Maungu, the current MP for Luanda Constituency, to take over responsibilities previously associated with Wamboka.
The move has been interpreted locally as a political realignment within western Kenya’s shifting power structure.
Bumula Constituency, one of nine constituencies in Bungoma County, is currently represented in the National Assembly by Wamboka, elected in 2022.
His apparent replacement in the parliamentary role — though details remain contested — has sparked backlash among sections of his supporters, who accuse political actors of sidelining local representation.
Witnesses said protesters gathered in trading centers across the constituency, chanting slogans and demanding clarity over the leadership change.
Police were deployed to disperse crowds and restore order as tensions escalated.
The developments underscore growing political friction in the region, where emerging alliances and party interests are increasingly reshaping influence ahead of future electoral cycles.
Authorities had not issued an official statement on the protests by late Thursday, but transport along the affected highway was gradually resuming after security intervention.
