Police disrupt Governor Joho’s rally in Kinango, Kwale

Police officers claiming to be acting on their superiors' orders Thursday disrupted two rallies attended by two Orange party leaders.

The meetings were disrupted with volleys of teargas fired into the crowd in Kinango and Lunga Lunga, forcing Mombasa Governor Hassan Ali Joho and his Kilifi counterpart, Amason Kingi, to cancel them.

In the Kinango incident, a helicopter carrying the two governors and other leaders was prevented from landing after the officers fired dozens of tear gas canisters into a crowd of waiting supporters, causing a stampede.

The two leaders, who are vocal critics of the Jubilee administration, were scheduled to address two rallies to drum up support for the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA).

However, it became evident that they would not be allowed after Coast Regional Coordinator  Nelson Marwa, who was attending a function at Makongeni in the same county, declared that leaders from outside the county could not be allowed to address rallies there.

"If you are a leader from Mombasa please do your politics in Mombasa and do not come to Kwale," Mr Marwa told a gathering of residents in reference to Mr Joho, whom he accused of "moving around Lamu and Voi calling yourself the sultan".

As the police ordered the crowd at Kinango to disperse, sparking a shouting match with opposition supporters, a senior police officer admitted that he had received orders to ensure that the governors did not address the crowd at the two venues.

Earlier Thursday, police denied the Opposition a venue in the same area, claiming that the local governor, Salim Mvurya, of Jubilee had booked it for his function.

The rally, which had been organised by Kinango constituency aspirant Benjamin Tayari, started well but when word went round that Joho, the ODM party leader, was going to arrive in 15 minutes, police ordered the supporters to leave. They attacked them with batons and tear gas.

Led by Mr Tayari, the leaders, Msambweni MP Suleiman Dori, and Kwale Speaker Sammy Ruwa, had lined up to receive Joho. Police led by OCPD Lawrence Charo said there were directives that the meetings should not be held.

As soon as Joho's helicopter arrived, police unleashed tear gas, inviting the wrath of the public, who chanted "Mvurya must go".

"We have been ordered not to allow this meeting here," the OCPD shouted as he ordered his men to clear the grounds amid shouts and wails.

A simultaneous raid was made on a crowd that had gathered in Lunga Lunga, where the leaders were to address supporters after Kinango.

Speaking Thursday evening, the two governors accused Mvurya of being behind the cancellation of the rallies.

Initially, Mvurya had booked the ground, prompting the ODM fraternity to go to another place.

Efforts to speak to the governor were unsuccessful as he was inaccessible by phone and did not attend ny meetings in Kwale Thursday, including the one police had claimed he was expected.

Naomi Joseph, who was injured when she was hit by a tear gas canister and had to be supported to walk, said: "I am asking Mvurya, how can he beat the voters who voted him to that office?" she asked.

The leaders later accused Jubilee of trying to return the country to dictatorship.

"We are surprised that with the new Constitution such things can still happen. It is disheartening when people are beaten for no apparent reason," said Joho.