Like every Sunday, Joseph Asembo prepared for church, expecting nothing more than a morning of worship before returning home to his family.
As he stepped out of the gate, he met his 31-year-old son, Dickson Oduor, who had just returned from his overnight shift as a nightclub bouncer in Kisumu.
The two exchanged a few words before Dickson reached into his pocket and handed his father Sh50 to use as a church offering.
Dickson Oduor Oduogo, 31, who was killed during a scuffle between two rival groups following an attack at St Stephen's Anglican Cathedral in Milimani, Kisumu, on July 12,2026.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
When he returned from church, the atmosphere at home had changed. His wife was sobbing uncontrollably. Then one of Dickson's friends arrived with devastating news.
Unconvinced, he accompanied the young man to Nightingale Hospital, hoping they had mistaken someone else for his son. There, the hospital staff directed them to the mortuary.
“I found my son’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. When I unbuttoned his shirt, I found two stab wounds, one in the chest and another in the stomach.”
Dickson's mother, Mary Asembo, said her son was preparing to rest before something interrupted his plans. She noticed he was unusually hurried while speaking on the phone.
Mary Auma Asembo, mother of the late Dickson Oduor Oduogo, speaks during an interview at her home in Kisumu on July 13, 2026. Oduogo, 31, was killed during a scuffle between two rival groups following an attack at St. Stephen's Anglican Cathedral in Milimani, Kapuothe, Kisumu, on July 12, 2026.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
“I heard someone telling him there was a rally and that he should rush there,” she said. “He left and never came back.”
Dickson was one of two people killed during Sunday’s violence outside St Stephen's Cathedral in Milimani, where Siaya Governor James Orengo and his Nairobi counterpart Edwin Sifuna were attending a church service organised by Linda Mwananchi.
The church service descended into chaos after armed youths attempted to force their way into the compound, trapping congregants and political leaders inside as police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. Nine motorcycles were torched.
Joseph Oduogo Asembo, father of the late Dickson Oduor Oduogo, speaks during an interview at his home in Kisumu on July 13, 2026.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
On Monday, Kisumu County Commissioner Mohammed Mwabudzo said security agencies had received intelligence about a possible disturbance and deployed officers at the church.
“The security agencies were there before 9am. That’s why we were able to avoid a catastrophic scene that would have caused more bloodshed,” he said.
According to Mr Mwabudzo, investigations indicate that large groups of youths had been mobilised at Victoria Park before being transported to the church. He said that many of them did not know what mission they had been recruited for until they were issued with pangas and jembe handles and directed to act.
Ibrahim Omondi Owino, brother of the late Dickson Oduor Oduogo, speaks during an interview at his home in Kisumu on July 13, 2026.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
“These are very innocent people. Money is not always enough, and the leaders who are doing that, shame on you. It is wrong to use the youth of this town to settle political scores,” he said.
Mr Mwabudzo also criticised political leaders who hire private groups to provide security during public events instead of working with the police.
“We are here to serve you. We are here to provide security and guard your life and property. We are not selectively providing security. Leaders who prefer to hire goons to provide security for them should desist with immediate effect,” he said, warning that investigators would pursue those who financed and organised the violence.
Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o similarly condemned the violence, describing it as organised criminal activity rather than ordinary political unrest.
One of the suspected goons, who spoke to the Nation on condition of anonymity, claimed the violence stemmed from rivalry between two factions that had allegedly been mobilised for opposing roles during the event— to provide security for the Linda Mwananchi leaders and the other to disrupt the function.
Mourners gather at Kapuothe village to mourn the late Dickson Oduor Oduogo. Oduogo, 31, who was killed during a scuffle between two rival groups following an attack at St Stephen's Anglican Cathedral in Milimani, Kisumu.
Photo credit: Alex Odhiambo | Nation Media Group
He further claimed that members of one faction were paid Sh500 each, while those in the rival group received Sh2,000. According to him, the two people who died belonged to different factions.
