PREMIUM All talk and no action as political violence persists Promises by CS Murkomeno clamp down on perpetrators and their financiers have yielded little or no result, sparking tension ahead of the polls. News Just now Listen

The latest assurances followed last week’s violence during the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, where masked men travelling in high-end vehicles allegedly intimidated voters, fired gunshots and lobbed tear gas near polling stations despite heavy police deployment.“We further reiterate that the alarming surge in political violence and thuggery instigated by leaders across the political divide, through the use of goons and criminal gangs, constitutes a direct threat to national security and will not be tolerated,” Mr Kanja said.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group An examination by the Nation shows a recurring pattern where violence erupts, senior security officials promise swift investigations and arrests, detectives announce they are pursuing sponsors, then little is publicly heard about the cases until another attack thrusts political violence back into the national spotlight.