Senator Tom Ojienda calls for the immediate arrest of Kahiga
Kisumu Senator Prof. Tom Ojienda has called for the immediate arrest of Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga over what he termed as “primitive and shameful” remarks celebrating the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Through a statement shared on his official X handle on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, Ojienda said Kahiga’s utterances amounted to hate speech and violated Kenya’s principles of national unity.
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“I have listened with utter shock to the remark made by Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga in his native language, celebrating the death of the Rt. Hon. Raila Amollo Odinga,” Ojienda said.
“It is primitive, distasteful, and shameful, particularly coming from an individual holding the office of Governor.”
The Kisumu lawmaker added that this was not the first time Kahiga had made divisive comments, saying his speech risked stoking ethnic tensions at a time when the nation was still mourning.
“I call upon the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to move with speed and recommend the arrest of Governor Mutahi Kahiga on his remarks, which amount to hate speech,” he stated.
“This country belongs to each of us, and no person has a superior right over others to be a citizen of this great nation.”
Governor Mutahi Kahiga has been the centre of controversy after a viral video showed him making remarks that appeared to celebrate the late Raila Odinga’s death, calling it “God’s plan” to restore political balance.
Kahiga’s remarks on Raila and apology
“You guys can see what had been planned, but God brought something up. Now it’s total confusion. Everybody can see that.
“We did not harbour hate for anyone, but God came through for us,” Kahiga said in Kikuyu during a funeral speech in Nyeri.
He went further, adding, “So now people have been told to go back to the drawing board because the plan that was there was probably to throw us out. But who is God?
“Does he take ugali at somebody’s house or sleep in Kayole? He came through in His own way.
“He saw up there people in heaven are disagreeing a lot and came for Baba so that he can go and smooth things up there.”
Following mounting backlash, Kahiga issued a public apology on Wednesday and announced his resignation as Vice Chair of the Council of Governors.
“I want to sincerely apologise to our mourning nation, to the family of the Rt. Hon. Former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, Mama Ida Odinga, and Kenyans at large for any hurt that it has elicited,” he said.
“Finally, in noting the huge public interest that this issue has generated, I am taking responsibility for the real and perceived meaning of my remarks and, as a result, I have decided with immediate effect to step down as the Vice Chair of the Council of Governors.”
Despite the apology, pressure continues to mount from across the political divide, with calls like Ojienda’s urging law enforcement and the NCIC to treat the matter as a test case for accountability and national cohesion.
