Jacaranda Bunge La Mwananchi Leader Evans Kawala Reportedly Missing as Orengo Alleges Abduction

Prominent Jacaranda Bunge La Mwananchi leader and outspoken political mobiliser Evans Kawala has reportedly gone missing in what opposition figures are describing as an abduction.

The alleged incident occurred on Tuesday evening, May 26, triggering outrage from youth activists and opposition leaders, including James Orengo, who directly accused the government of orchestrating the disappearance.

In a strongly worded statement issued Tuesday night, Orengo claimed Kawala was targeted for openly criticising President William Ruto and speaking against the government.

“Tonight, the Ruto administration resorted to desperate measures by abducting Evance ‘Kidero Jasuba’ Kawala, a vocal champion of the Jacaranda Bunge La Mwananchi, simply for speaking truth to power,” Orengo stated.

The Siaya governor further revealed that a legal team had already been assembled to trace Kawala’s whereabouts and push for his immediate release.

“To the Bunge La Mwananchi family: stay firm. We are actively on this case and will see it through to the end,” he added.

Orengo described the alleged abduction as a sign of intolerance and political weakness, insisting that suppressing dissent would not silence growing public criticism against the government.

“Oppression only signals a government’s weakness. You can abduct a critic, but you cannot chain the spirit of defiance. We demand his immediate and unconditional release,” he said.

The reported disappearance comes days after Kawala made strong remarks against President Ruto’s administration during public discussions at the Jacaranda Bunge La Mwananchi forum. He had reportedly criticised the government’s leadership and handling of national issues, including governance and public accountability.

His comments followed a recent security scare involving President Ruto in Ganze, Kilifi County, where a man reportedly breached presidential security and reached the dais during a public event on Sunday, May 24.

By Wednesday morning, neither the government nor the National Police Service had issued an official statement regarding Kawala’s alleged abduction or his current whereabouts.

Bunge La Mwananchi remains one of Kenya’s most visible grassroots forums, providing ordinary citizens with an open platform to debate political, economic, and social issues affecting the country. The movement is currently at the centre of public discussions surrounding the controversial Finance Bill 2026.