Interview with Kisumu County Commissioner Benson Leparmorijo on County’s state of security

By Peter Ochieng

Cases of insecurity have drastically gone down in Kisumu compared to the October – December 2024 period, according to county commissioner Benson Leparmorijo.

Nairobi Review had a sit down with him on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, and here are the excerpts from the interview:  

NR: Can you share some of the insecurity incidents reported in Kisumu in the last 24 hours?

BL: We had one incident last evening that took place in Nyando where an Assistant Chief and a team comprising village elders arrested a suspected bhang dealer.

During that exercise, some rowdy youth descended on the team, where they attacked one village elder by the name Eric Ogeno who sustained spear injuries on his thighs. He was rushed to the Ahero Sub County hospital for treatment.

Investigations are ongoing pending arrest of the perpetrators who fled from the scene. The chief and his team didn't go there with police officers, but that's what maybe they should have done in the first instance.

But sometimes, you know you receive information from the public, you would want to act as fast as possible before the suspect or even the exhibit disappears. But the police officers responded immediately when the incident took place.

NR: What is the current state of security in Kisumu County?

BL: Generally, the situation is calm and under control. We cannot compare now with what we had towards the end of last year, I think from October, when there was a real upsurge in crime. The situation is now under control and relatively calm.

NR: What role do members of the public have in maintaining security and order?

BL: They give us information on any suspected persons. They give us information which enables us to act in a good time.

Information should always be timely and accurate, and it should always be given discreetly. We do not disclose our sources, because if you disclose the source, the life of that informant who volunteered to give us information may be in danger.

NR: Bodaboda riders have generally been accused of colluding with suspected criminals. Is that the case in Kisumu?

BL: We are not saying that all bodaboda riders are colluding with criminals. There is a possibility of some of them colluding with suspects. We've also had instances where somebody calls for a bodaboda only for that same person to turn against the rider. So, it can be both ways. They also sometimes fall prey, and can be attacked by customers. There are also some bodaboda people who attack their customers.

NR: What is your assurance to residents of Kisumu on security?

BL: I want to assure all the residents of Kisumu that our officers are on very high alert, and we'll continue to provide them with security to protect their properties and even themselves.

I urge them to continue cooperating with our security agencies, with our chiefs and assistant chiefs to prevent cases of insecurity.