Chiefs ordered to arrest rowdy politicians at public meetings

A confrontation is looming between local politicians and chiefs in the region following orders to arrest leaders who cause chaos at public meetings.

Nyanza Regional Co-ordinator Wilson Njega directed chiefs to help arrest any politicians found disrupting public gatherings.

Mr Njega told the chiefs it was their duty to ensure that hate-mongers in their locations were arrested and prosecuted, regardless of their standing in society.

Addressing chiefs at the county headquarters where he was hosted by County Commissioner Kassim Farrah, Njega urged the administrators to ensure that Nyanza was peaceful during and after the 2017 elections.

He said many cases of violence had been caused by politicians who wanted to attack or discredit their rivals in public.

"We need to keep vigil in our villages to ensure that nobody disrupts the peace ahead of the next General Election," said Njega.

He told the chiefs not to spare anybody who tried to take advantage of politics to disrupt harmony in the region and said anybody found culpable should be arrested.

AVOID GATECRASHING

The State official also told political leaders in the area to avoid gatecrashing meetings convened by their rivals.

"Every politician should desist from attending meetings they have not been invited to. This is the only way we can avoid confrontations among politicians," he said.

Warning local politicians against incitement, Mr Farah called on youths to avoid being used to perpetuate violence.

Farrah also called on chiefs to make use of the motorbikes they had been given to fight insecurity.

"All our chiefs have been given motorbikes; we want them to use the bikes to enhance the fight against insecurity in the area," he said.