“I Fled for My Life”: Busia Boda Rider Alleges Assault by Governor Otuoma, Abduction by Armed Men
A shocking incident has emerged from Busia County, where a young boda boda rider claims he was brutally assaulted by Governor Otuoma during a seed distribution exercise—before being abducted, blindfolded, and denied medical care in what his lawyers are calling a gross violation of human rights.
The petitioner, Yusuf Hamisi, was among residents who had gathered to receive free seeds from the county boss when things took a bizarre and violent turn.
According to Hamisi’s lawyer, Danstan Omari, what exactly sparked the governor’s anger remains unclear. But what followed, he says, left his client nursing injuries—and fears—far deeper than the physical wounds.
“He allegedly verbally abused our client using unprintable words that cannot be aired on national media,” Omari told journalists. “He then went ahead and kicked the young boda boda rider in the groin area. We are not certain whether his fertility was affected, or whether the act amounted to attempted castration.”
Hamisi, who works as a motorcycle operator in the area, said he was simply standing in line when the governor approached him. Before he could make sense of the situation, he says, he was on the ground, writhing in pain.
What happened next reads like a scene from a crime thriller—but for Hamisi, it was terrifyingly real.
Immediately after the alleged assault, Hamisi claims he was whisked away by the governor’s security detail, who proceeded to beat him. He later managed to escape from the scene, but his ordeal was far from over.
In desperate need of medical attention, Hamisi first sought help at a hospital in Busia. He was reportedly turned away.
He then crossed into neighboring Siaya County, hoping for better luck at a public hospital there. Once again, he alleges, he was denied care—possibly due to influence or communication involving the Busia governor, his lawyer suggested.
“While still in pain, he was reportedly abducted in Siaya by four heavily armed individuals, blindfolded, and forced into a vehicle to be driven back to Busia County,” Omari revealed.
But in what his legal team describes as an act of sheer determination to survive, Hamisi managed to escape midway during the abduction.
After fleeing his captors, a Good Samaritan came to his aid and facilitated his journey to Nairobi, where he finally received treatment at Mbagathi Hospital. It was there that he also obtained a P3 form to document his injuries.
“Following these events, he instructed us to take legal action,” Omari said. “He is currently in a safe location, in hiding, out of fear for his life.”
Hamisi’s legal team has since filed a petition before the Constitutional and Human Rights Division of the High Court, seeking justice for their client.
“We are dealing with a case that touches on fundamental rights—the right to dignity, the right to healthcare, and the right to security of a person,” Omari added.
As of this publication, Governor Otuoma’s office had not issued an official response to the allegations. Efforts to reach the county spokesperson were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, human rights activists are calling for a thorough investigation, with some pointing to a troubling pattern of impunity among public officials in the region.
For Yusuf Hamisi, the immediate priority remains safety. But his lawyers say he is determined to see the case through—not just for himself, but for every ordinary citizen who fears speaking out against those in power.
