Council of Governors want Nandi chaos culprits arrested

The Council of Governors (CoG) has condemned the Monday chaos in Nandi County at a referendum rally,  where a senior county staff was injured.

The governors said there must be political tolerance on the raging referendum debate and asked politicians who engage in violence and intimidation to desist from the vice.

CoG Chair Isaac Ruto cautioned the youths who were used to disrupt the rally and their paymasters, saying they must accept divergent opinion.

Ruto said the police must do a thorough investigation, arrest the culprits and put them behind bars since referendum is an issue that the public is free to debate and take a stand on. "There is a serious concern on what happened in Nandi where hired goons stormed a rally and injured a staff on the basis of referendum. There must be political tolerance and we are asking the police to apprehend the criminals," said Ruto.

The governors said the violence might have been sponsored by some senior politicians from the region, who are opposed to the referendum.

Ruto said just like youths were arrested for heckling and throwing stones and chairs during President Uhuru Kenyatta's visit in Migori, the same should happen to Nandi culprits.

Speaking on the sidelines of the National Conference of the Sub-National Borrowing in Nairobi, Ruto asked  proponents of the referendum to allow the police to do their investigations. "We are asking those supporting our cause not to take law into their hands. We hope these people will be exposed and brought to book," said Ruto.

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said nobody should fight the other for holding on to a different opinion. Migori's Okoth Obado said Kenyans must respect other people's views.