Kenyan rapper and activist Henry Ohanga, widely known as Octopizzo, delivered a firm critique of the country’s political leadership after violence broke out during Thursday’s by-elections. His message captured growing public frustration, especially among young Kenyans who continue to question the credibility of electoral processes.
Octopizzo addressed the situation through his official X account on Thursday, November 27, 2025, where he highlighted the troubling scenes from various polling centers. His statement pointed to a deeper issue within the nation’s democratic systems and the leadership entrusted to uphold them. “Today’s by-elections have revealed how far we still have to go as a democratic nation. Watching seasoned leaders resort to conflict instead of principle shows that while growing older is inevitable, growing up is not,” Octopizzo stated.
Why Did the By-Elections Expose Leadership Failure?
As the violence unfolded across different regions, concerns grew over the lack of peace and credibility in elections that involved fewer than a million voters. Octopizzo argued that the scale of the polls should not be an excuse for disorder. Instead, he urged politicians across all parties to evaluate what these chaotic scenes say about Kenya’s political culture.
“When elections involving fewer than a million participants cannot be conducted credibly & peacefully, we must pause & reflect on what this says about our political culture,” he wrote. His message emphasized that no political side was exempt from blame. “This is a call to all political parties and leaders in government & in the opposition. The responsibility is collective, and in this moment, you have all fallen short of the standards our country deserves,” he stated.
Reports indicated widespread voter intimidation, confrontations between rival groups, and clashes with police. These patterns, which have appeared in past elections, fueled national debates about accountability, leadership maturity, and the future of peaceful democratic participation.
What Happened to MP Peter Kaluma During the Polls?
The tension escalated further in the Kasipul parliamentary by-election, where Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma and his bodyguard were attacked. Kaluma confirmed that his bodyguard’s firearm went missing during the confrontation, adding to concerns about security failures around the electoral process.
“I’m in a sitution where I am the observer for the ODM candidate. You can see I am bleeding. I have been attacked by Aroko and a team of goons. They have gone with the gun, for my body guard. And you can see they have stolen. And he’s the one who was telling them to hit me when I’m okay. And I’m here to wait for our ODM candidate to be on the way to vote,” Kaluma said.
Despite the violence, he encouraged residents to keep participating in the democratic process. “This is not acceptable. I want to tell our people to stay now. Come out and vote. Don’t worry about what is happening. Come out and vote. These people want to cause violence so that they scare people from voting.”
By Risper Akinyi