Kakamega County is bracing for a heated legal battle after AP Commander SSP James Momanyi, through lawyer Danstan Omari, issued a stern demand letter accusing activist Seth Ambusini Panyako of spreading false and damaging allegations against him.
According to the letter, Panyako circulated a media clip on 16th November 2025 in which he allegedly accused the commander of bribery, election interference and plotting chaos during the upcoming Kakamega polls. Omari says the statements were malicious, unfounded and meant to paint Momanyi as corrupt and unfit for duty.
The commander claims Panyako manipulated facts to appear as though he had evidence of wrongdoing, including allegations that Momanyi intended to deploy eight officers per polling station, train goons in schools and receive a six-million-shilling bribe from Farouk Kibet. The lawyer describes the claims as outright lies crafted to incite fear and erode trust in the security sector.
The letter adds that Panyako went as far as issuing a 72-hour ultimatum demanding that the commander leave his duty station, a move described as intimidating, psychologically disturbing and amounting to moral torture. Momanyi says the clip has triggered numerous inquiries, embarrassed him professionally and caused distress among his colleagues and family.
Omari insists that the AP Commander has never engaged in unlawful election activities or accepted money from anyone, calling the allegations not just defamatory but dangerous. The letter says the accusations violate Section 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, which criminalizes knowingly publishing false information likely to cause chaos or discredit a public officer.
Momanyi now demands that Panyako pays Ksh 20 million in damages, issues a public apology, retracts the statements and stops publishing any further remarks about him. The activist has also been warned against sharing the demand letter with third parties except his lawyer.
The notice gives Panyako just twelve hours to comply. Failure to do so, Omari warns, will lead to immediate legal action aimed at clearing the commander’s name and holding Panyako accountable for the alleged defamation.
As time runs out, tension continues to rise in Kakamega, with the standoff now drawing public attention and potentially influencing the political temperature ahead of the elections.
