Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has strongly denied allegations linking him to an alleged assault on Godfrey Osotsi in Kisumu, describing the accusations as baseless and politically driven.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday evening, Dr. Omollo dismissed the claims made by Senator Osotsi and members of the Linda Mwananchi faction, saying any accusations involving criminal conduct should be handled through legal channels rather than public statements.
The Interior PS questioned why he would have any reason to target the Vihiga Senator, arguing that there was no conflict between the two that would justify such allegations.
“I don’t think I would want to respond to Osotsi because Osotsi is a leader in this country. He’s a Senator, he’s a legislator, and we are a constitutional country with processes,” said Dr. Omollo.
“As it is, I think it’s merely…I would consider it as street talk. But beyond that, the question is, what will be the interest of PS Omollo in this case in attacking Senator Osotsi? What is it that Osotsi is doing that affects my work? And even if there was an issue, we have laws that if there is an accusation against Osotsi, I know what needs to be done,” he added.
Dr. Omollo further defended his position in government, saying it would be contradictory for a senior official charged with overseeing security matters to participate in criminal acts.
He maintained that any person accused of wrongdoing should be subjected to investigations through the proper legal process.
“And if anyone, not just in the name of the PS, is involved in any criminal activity, there’s a process that needs to be undertaken. So if there is evidence that you are involved, for example, what I will do is I will go to a police station, I will report, and I will follow the matter,” he said.
“And as a PS, also, we are responsible for security, It is inconceivable that you would want to go that route,” added.
The Principal Secretary also appeared to downplay the accusations, suggesting that if there was sufficient evidence against him, legal action would already have been taken.
“At this point in time, I am not sure if anything like that has happened. And again, the police have the capacity and the law allows them to deal with the criminalities of that nature,” he said.
The exchange comes amid heightened political tensions in parts of the country, with increasing concerns over claims of organised groups being used to intimidate political opponents and disrupt political activities.
Senator Osotsi had earlier accused the Interior PS of orchestrating an attack against him during a visit to Kisumu last month.
In a press briefing following the incident, the Senator claimed he was assaulted by a group of youths while seated at a café in the lakeside city.
According to Osotsi, the attackers questioned his political stance before physically assaulting him.
“They started hitting me while questioning why I support the one-term slogan,” Osotsi said then, adding that he lost consciousness during the attack.
The Senator alleged that about 15 to 20 youths were involved in the incident and further claimed he had evidence suggesting he had been under surveillance before the attack occurred.
Following the incident, Osotsi called for Dr. Omollo’s resignation and arrest, maintaining that the matter should be investigated thoroughly.
However, the Interior PS has insisted that the allegations lack merit and reiterated that the country’s legal and investigative institutions are capable of handling any genuine criminal complaints brought before them.
