Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo has moved to bolster her personal security following her elevation within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Speaking during an interview on Hot 96 FM, Omanyo revealed that she sought additional protection after recent developments in ODM placed her in a more prominent and potentially vulnerable position.
She disclosed that she personally approached the Clerk of the National Assembly, Samuel Njoroge, to request reinforcement of her security detail.
Omanyo currently serves as ODM’s deputy secretary general and has been acting as secretary general in the absence of Edwin Sifuna.
Sifuna had earlier been controversially ousted from the position, with Omanyo named as his replacement. However, the decision was later nullified by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, which directed that the dispute be resolved through the party’s internal mechanisms.
The leadership wrangles have heightened tensions within ODM, prompting concerns over the safety of key figures.
Omanyo said the increasingly hostile political environment, particularly on social media, had contributed to her decision to enhance her security.
“Even before becoming an SG, I am an MP. And there are things you just have to top up because you just do not know who the enemy is here,” she said.
She added that online hostility had translated into real-life threats.
“If you visit social media, there are people who demonise everything, and some decided to hate me without knowing me. They were throwing those threats. You can never know who the enemy is,” Omanyo stated.
The lawmaker referenced a recent violent incident involving Godfrey Osotsi, the Vihiga Senator, to underscore the unpredictability of political violence.
Osotsi was attacked by a group of armed individuals in Kisumu County on April 8, in what authorities believe was a politically motivated assault.
“See what happened the other day to our senator. People just come in peacefully, they did not look like they were dangerous and suddenly, they changed and became beasts,” she said.
According to police, a group of youths confronted Osotsi and questioned his political allegiance before attacking him.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have since arrested three suspects linked to the incident, with investigations ongoing to apprehend more individuals believed to have been involved.
Omanyo said the incident reinforced her fears and prompted urgent action. “I have beefed up my security. I even ran to the Clerk of the National Assembly and told him the way things are going, especially towards ODM’s Special Delegates Congress, I needed more,” she said.
She emphasised that her request was specific and deliberate. “Not men in black-men in uniform but not uniformed, disciplined strategists of security. I asked for three more; this is a matter of life and death.”
Her remarks come at a time when ODM is grappling with internal divisions.
