By Faith Anene, Kakamega
Kakamega County Deputy Governor, Ayub Savula, has raised an alarm over his safety after his official vehicle was attacked by unknown assailants in Kisumu last Friday night.
This latest incident has left him fearing for his life, as it mirrors a similar attack on his personal vehicle in Nairobi last October.
With both attacks targeting the front passenger seat, the spot where Savula often sits, the Deputy Governor believes these may not be mere coincidences, but deliberate attempts on his life.
“This attack comes barely four months after a similar incident on October 23, 2024, in Nairobi, where my personal vehicle, registration number V8 KCN 710B, was hit in what was initially reported as a hit and run,” said Savula
He added : “I strongly suspect my vehicle was being trailed by a suspicious white Probox before the attack, which occurred at the gate of a residential estate in Kisumu when my driver had gone to drop an MCA of Kakamega County Assembly,”
According to the Deputy Governor, in both instances, the front passenger seat, where he often sits has been the target, raising suspicions that these may not be random accidents but deliberate attempts on his life.
The Deputy Governor has filed a formal report about the latest attack at Kisumu Police Station.
He said that he had no personal grudges or enemies who might be plotting such attacks, urging whoever is responsible to reconsider their actions.
“Both incidents have put the lives of those in the vehicle at risk. Fortunately, we narrowly escaped with our lives,” Savula said.
Hon. Savula made these statements during the official launch of the Mukhuyu Community Based Organisation (CBO) event at Musungu Primary School in Malava Sub-county, where he was standing in for Kakamega Governor, Fernandes Barasa.
In November 2023, his mother’s home in Manyonyi village, in Lugari constituency was raided by a group of thugs. Around 50 men armed with machetes destroyed the family’s property, including killing Savula’s dog in a gruesome manner.
“The thugs didn’t steal anything, but they left a message: my dog is dead. Why would cattle rustlers kill a dog and leave the cows?” Savula questioned. To him, the brutality was more than just theft, it was an act of political intimidation.
Savula believed the attacks stem from his outspoken criticisms of the government, particularly his sharp remarks about President William Ruto’s leadership.
He had accused Ruto’s administration of surrounding itself with a “praise and worship team” that failed to address the economic struggles faced by ordinary Kenyans.
At a funeral in Kapsabet, Nandi County, Savula directly criticized the government for its inaction on the high cost of living, claiming that those around the president were lying to him about the situation. “The attack was meant to send a message to me, not my mother,” Savula asserted
