Anti-riot police called in to contain rowdy youth

The chaotic scenes at Kasarani on Friday. [PHOTOS: BONIFACE OKENDO/ STANDARD]

By Felix Olick and James Mbaka

Nairobi, Kenya: Chaos erupted at the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) National Governing Council on Friday forcing anti-riot police and the elite paramilitary General Service Unit to storm into the Kasarani basketball gymnasium to restore order after delegates became rowdy.

Outgoing party secretary general Anyang’ Nyong’o was forced to call off the conference after a rowdy group protesting alleged electoral malpractices stormed the area set up for voting and overturned tables, destroying ballot boxes and electoral materials just as delegates were starting to vote.

The chaotic scenes that followed saw sections of delegates in bitter verbal exchanges while others engaged in a fistfight before they were dispersed.

Party leader Raila Odinga and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka had earlier addressed the delegates and retreated to the VIP lounge to pave the way for voting. Raila returned and spent some time helping to restore order.

Trouble began after Nominated MP Isaac Mwaura protested that the exercise would not be free and fair and that it lacked the credibility ODM members yearned for.

Efforts by party officials to calm Mwaura, who was gunning for the party deputy secretary general, hit a snag as security officers attempted to eject him from the voting hall.

It was at this point that unidentified goons began overturning tables, crushing the plastic ballot boxes and scattering the electoral materials before electoral officials and security officers could stop them.

Mwaura, who has been campaigning with a team allied to Bundalangi MP Ababu Namwamba, was dissatisfied with circulation of campaign material from the group that excluded his name.

The move is said to have angered Mwaura, who represents special interest groups in Parliament, seized some of the documents and went into a corner, stood on top of a table and began addressing the delegates.

While Mwaura was still on the table, the rowdy youths, dressed in black suits, stormed the arena and began overturning the tables one by one. The party top brass watched helplessly as the chaos ensured in the glare of TV cameras beaming the event live.

The election, which had been billed as the turning point in the leadership of the Orange party, failed to live to its expectations and was put off indefinitely. Prof Nyong’o told thousands of delegates who had thronged the Kasarani gymnasium for the election to leave after party officials clearly lost control of the situation.

“The elections have been called off indefinitely and delegates are asked to leave in peace,” Nyong’o announced to the delegates, most of whom had stood up, alarmed at the unexpected turn of events.

Mwaura told journalists when calm was restored that he would not keep quiet as his rights were violated “even if it means risking my life.”

He said he was shocked to have come across the document that was being circulated in the gymnasium with a line up that excluded his name for the position of deputy secretary general. “This is not about Mwaura... I know my life is in danger now, but I’m ready to risk my life for this. I have every right to complain...if the polls are being rigged,” said Mwaura.

When asked whether he would quit the party following the fiasco, a furious Mwaura responded: “Why should I quit the party because of this, my issue is those people who wanted to deny me the chance to participate in the polls.”

When Raila briefly returned to the gymnasium to find out what had happened, he met Mwaura, who showed him the circulated list.

He consulted with Mwaura and other officials before returning to the VIP lounge to meet the ODM elections board in a closed-door meeting.

The contentious list, a copy of which is in possession of The Standard on Saturday, had the name of Mwaura’s competitor for the seat of deputy secretary general Peter ole Musei. “I am a happy man. I have been fighting for justice my whole life,” he added.

Earlier, Raila pleaded for unity during the polls even as the delegates from the Coast region openly protested an amendment to create more positions in the party’s leadership structure. The Coast delegates staged a mass walkout from the gymnasium, as speeches were ongoing after an amendment was passed to create nine new positions.

The region rallying behind Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho was particularly against the splitting of the position of deputy party leader and that of secretary general.

However, their bid to thwart the amendment hit a snag after they were overwhelmed by delegates from other counties, especially Nairobi and Western, when the vote was put through acclamation.

When he stood to address the delegates after the adoption of the controversial amendment, the former PM called for unity for purposes of keeping the Jubilee administration in check, accusing the Government of turning “dictatorial.”

Raila’s plea

“We are members of one family and these elections should not divide us. I want to see losers and winners shaking hands after this election,” the Cord leader told the delegates, adding: “ I have told the candidates that this is a friendly internal match and you should not injure your colleague because you will need them when we go for the real game.”

Raila, who has been fighting claims of favouritism for a line-up allied to Nominated Senator Agnes Zani, maintained that all regions were critical for the prosperity of the party ahead of the 2017 General Election.

The Coast delegates who had threatened to boycott the exercise later returned to the venue after holding consultations with key leaders from the region led by the Mombasa governor. Tension was high at the packed Kasarani gymnasium following claims of rigging and hooligans hired to bungle the exercise.

On Thursday night, Coast leaders had hurriedly convened a Press conference and alleged a plot by a section of aspirants to disrupt the elections.

“We are aware of a plan to ferry 1,500 youths into the stadium overnight with an intention to compromise the credibility of the exercise,” said Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro, who is also the Opposition Chief Whip in Parliament.

The same claims had been made by a camp allied to Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba, who was gunning for the secretary general position.

Things nearly got out of hand after Prof Nyong’o rose to move the amendments as proposed by the National Governing Council.

Nyong’o cut short his speech several times after the arena turned into a shouting match between Coast and Nairobi delegates, as Cord top brass, including former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, watched in disbelief.

“Don’t make noise, let this house be quiet. I plead with you for the second time,” Nyongo pleaded as Nairobi delegates shouted “ongeza” (add), while their Coast counterparts thundered “haki yetu” (our right).

And when Nyong’o finally put the question, the amendment easily sailed through, opening a window for the National Governing Council to fill the nine positions after the election, apparently to meet the constitutional requirement for gender and diversity. Another contentious issues that had threatened to split the Orange Party was the voting system, with some supporting acclamation as opposed to secret ballot.

But delegates unanimously agreed to choose the new leadership through secret ballot.