A fierce confrontation erupted today between KANU supporters and the police in Kericho County after the officers attempted to bar the party from holding its final campaign rally at the Moi Gardens.
Trouble started at about 9.30am when the officers moved in and stop the construction of the dais that was to be used by the Kanu team for a rally scheduled to kick off around1pm, forcing the few supporters who had already gathered at the field to raise an alarm.
The heavily armed officers told the KANU supporters, who expected their chairman Gideon Moi to address, that the field had been booked for use by the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) with Deputy President William Ruto expected to address a rally there.
However, KANU leaders, among them KANU Secretary-General Nick Salat, Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto and MP Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills), Oscar Sudi (Kapseret) and Johana Ng’eno stormed the venue with thousands of Kanu supporters in tow and pledged to occupy it until 6pm.
Mr Salat waved several documents at the police, saying he had personally booked the garden for a Kanu rally more than three weeks ago and accused the police of attempting to use its resources illegally to kick the party out of the field.
“We will not allow the government to try and terrify us using the police. These police you see here are the ones who will provide us with protection until 6pmwhen we conclude our rally,” said Mr Salat.
It has also emerged that the Kanu brigade had also booked the Kericho Green Stadium weeks earlier, saying it would operate as the landing ground for dignitaries’ helicopters from across the country who were expected to attend Saturday’s rally.
Kanu’s move left the Jubilee party with no option but to arrange to hold its meeting at the smaller Uhuru Gardens in the middle of Kericho town.
Governor Ruto on his part added that the Kanu team would not be cowed into leaving the Moi Gardens by Jubilee which he accused of showing dictatorial tendencies “even if the government dispatched the entire police office to chase them out.”
A dictatorial government
“We are law abiding citizens who booked the field a long time ago. Kenyans know their rights very well and will not allow a dictatorial government to harass them. The job of the police is to ensure law and order and not to tell us where we should hold our meetings on behalf of the government,” Ruto said.
On Friday night, police lobbed teargas canisters at a group of Kanu supporters who were being interviewed by a local television station in Kericho town, but police explained that they had to take action after fighting nearly broke out between the KANU team and a group of Jubilee supporters.
Two week ago, there was another incident in which seven Kanu supporters were arrested by the police for allegedly holding a meeting beyond the 6pm deadline for political functions.
The six were released almost an hour after being arrested when thousands of party supporters stormed the police station and demanded their release, singing and chanting party slogans. The Kericho Senate by-election will be held on Monday. (nation.co.ke)
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