Natembeya’s official security yet to be returned after state withdrawal last month

Governor George Natembeya inspects a guard of honour by county enforcement officers in Kitale town / MATHEWS NDANYI

Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya says his official security is yet to be reinstated more than a month after they were withdrawn, a move that has sparked protests from the county boss and his supporters.

Natembeya confirmed that both his personal bodyguards and officers guarding his Kitale residence have not been redeployed.

The officers were withdrawn on November 26, a day before the Malava by-elections. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen later said the recall affected several very important persons after it emerged that some security officers were involved in criminal activities.

However, the governor described the withdrawal as an act of intimidation and a direct threat to his life.

“All the security officers attached to me were recalled, and I have been forced to put my own safety measures in place,” the governor said.

He maintained that state security is not a privilege but a constitutional right, accusing the police of politicising and weaponising the security apparatus to serve political interests.

“Let whoever did that know that I will not be intimidated or cowed into abandoning my stand,” he said.

Natembeya said the withdrawal came at a time when his life was already under threat, citing incidents during recent by-election campaigns in Malava and Bungoma.

Gunshots were fired during one of his campaign rallies in Kabuchai, where his security team intervened to secure his safety.

The governor was actively involved in campaigns for DAP-K candidate Seth Panyako in the Malava by-election and also addressed rallies in other areas.

Natembeya has emerged as a vocal critic of the Kenya Kwanza administration and the UDA leadership, which he accuses of mismanaging the country.

He warned that the police would be held responsible should anything happen to him, insisting the withdrawal was part of a broader scheme to manipulate the Malava by-election outcome.

The governor previously had about eight officers—mostly from the Administration Police—attached to him, his office and his residence.

He said he would continue with his normal duties but demanded that the Inspector General of Police publicly explain why his security detail was withdrawn.

Speaking during recent Jamhuri Day celebrations in Trans Nzoia county, Natembeya said he had little to celebrate, noting that even his official drivers and security team had been withdrawn.

“Let those in government positions who did this know that their time will surely come. Governments come and go, and no one remains in office forever,” he said.

Despite the security concerns, the governor promised to continue pushing for what he described as a just and inclusive country.