Opposition Leader Raila Odinga ha hired private guards to man his rural home in Bondo.
This is barely two days after government withdrew his security detail on Monday together with that of Wiper Party boss Kalonzo Musyoka.
The security was withdrawn just hours to their anti-IEBC protest held on Tuesday.
Four officers from the National Police Service manning Raila’s Oponda farm left on Tuesday evening according to the caretaker, Boniface Oginga.
“All I can say is that the officers left at around 3pm after a police vehicle came and asked all the officers to pack and leave. They left us dumbfounded,” he told Daily Nation adding the officers left in haste.
Siaya County Commissioner Josephine Onunga said the officers were withdrawn but could but comment further on the matter.
“All I know is that they have been withdrawn, the duty of assigning guards to VIPs directly discharged by the Inspector-General,” he said.
At the time, Police Spokesman George Kinoti said the withdrawal of security detail for the two leaders was not politically motivated; it was just a move to scale down officers seconded to VIPs.
And on Wednesday, a fiery Acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i said it was pointless to have Raila accorded a huge security detail which only follows him from one presser to another.
The CS said noted the officers were deployed to provide security for Kenyans.
Raila had earlier hit out at President Uhuru Kenyatta stating he will not be cowed by his withdrawal of security detail.
“We woke up and found the security was not there. That is a non-issue and of no consequence. I don’t fear… Under the law I am entitled to the security, not the sympathy of President Uhuru Kenyatta,” he said.
By Pharis Kinyua. He’s an online Journalist and an author for Jamhuri News