'Warembo na Uhuru' flushed out of venue as Iria jams rival's meeting

Members of the 'Warembo na Uhuru' political caucus at a Kisii hotel after they were chased out of Nyamira County by another team claiming to be legitimate members yesterday. (PHOTO: STANLEY ONGWAE/ STANDARD)

With the next General Election fast approaching, political intolerance seems to be slowly creeping back.

Rival political camps are engaging each other in their quests to either retain power or come to power.

In Nyamira County, attempts by a political lobby group to market the newly formed Jubilee Party (JP) failed to take place after their meeting was disrupted by a rival group.

Members of the ‘Warembo na Uhuru’ group had pitched tent in Nyamira town when their mission was cut short by youths armed with whips and clubs.

The initial meeting, which was to take place at Nyamira Primary School, was interrupted when a group of youths claiming to be the legitimate members of the lobby said they had not been invited. They said the lobby had been hijacked by outsiders.

Roughed up

They stormed the venue and roughed up the participants whom they accused of sabotaging their affairs. The attacking group, which seemed well prepared, overcame the opponents who abandoned the event and scampered for safety.

The tents were dismantled and the venue left in disarray.

Controversy heightened when one of the attackers, identified only as Wilkister, ordered the participants to identify their counties of origin after she claimed most of them were from Kisii County.

The meeting was later moved to Konate Junction but again, they found no peace as the rival group followed them.

Nyamira Police Commander Titus Ndung’u said the two groups accused each other of interference but were ordered to find consensus among themselves to avoid a breach of the peace.

“They came to our station counter-accusing each other of sabotage but we ordered them to sort out their membership issues before coming here,” said Mr Ndung’u.

Maurine Obino, one of the organisers, condemned the incident saying those who disrupted the event were acting on wrong information. Ms Obino said the meeting was not meant for Nyamira women only but a group of other women from outside the region.

And in Murang’a, a funds drive in aid of women’s groups ended in disarray after Governor Mwangi wa Iria stormed the venue with boda boda riders.

The women in attendant were forced to flee for safety after the riders caused confusion at the event where Mr Iria’s rival, Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau, was to be the chief guest. Mr Kamau had sent his wife, Agnes Irungu, to represent him.

Iria made his way to the venue a few minutes after she arrived.

Event organisers had to rearrange the seating to accommodate the governor, whom they said had not been invited. He took a seat a few metres from Ms Irungu.

Tension heightened after Iria and Kamau’s supporters clashed, and police had a rough time maintaining calm.

Purity Njeri, the chairperon of the groups, was forced to take the microphone and bar political aspirants from addressing the women as she warned them against politicising the event.

“This event is not a political gathering. It is meant to raise money to empower women and we should now proceed to collecting money from the guests,” she said.