Blame game over increasing cases of political intolerance

ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna addresses the press at Kisii Central Police Station regarding Nyakembene chaos. [Sammy Omingo, Standard]

Stakeholders in Nyanza have raised concern over what they termed increasing cases of political intolerance that have led to deaths, injuries and disruptions of businesses.

In the last few months, tension has gripped Kisii, Siaya, Homa Bay, and Migori counties as different groups clashed.

On Friday, one person was beaten to death and scores injured following a clash between rival groups in Rongo during the funeral service of the late Migori ODM chairman Philip Makabong’o.

Migori County Referral Hospital Medical Superintendent Ian Omuom said one victim was taken to the facility in a critical condition. “He died soon after,” Omuom said.

UDA and ODM leaders are currently trade accusations over the rising tensions in the region.

Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado, UDA’s coordinator for Nyanza, said ODM is to blame for the chaos being witnessed in the region.

“It is unfortunate that elected leaders chose to castigate the police and the government over the chaos at the funeral and Kisii,” Obado said.

On Thursday, leaders in Migori accused UDA and government officials of fueling the chaos in the region.

Local UDA leaders are pointing an accusing finger at ODM over the political tensions that have rocked the region in recent days.

Yesterday, tension gripped Homa Bay after a group of youths repulsed Homa Bay Bunge La Wenye Nchi and destroyed their chairs as they planned to hold their meetings.

Bunge La Wenye Nchi’s boss Walter Opiyo and spokesman Evance Oloo said the youth violently scuttled their meeting saying cases of political intolerance are worrying.

The incident occurred when Opiyo had ushered in one of their guests from Migori County to speak.

The youth stormed the meeting and chased away the attendees. Opiyo said they had convened the meeting to discuss pending bills and taxation by the county government.

“We wanted to discuss the issue of taxation and pending bills in the county government. But the youth disrupted our meeting before we deliberated on the matter,” Opiyo said after they recorded a statement at Homa Bay Police Station.

In Kisii, there is tension that has been brought about by differences between area Governor Simba Arati and South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro, a UDA lawmaker.  

On Tuesday, Education CS Ezekiel Machogu convened a meeting in an attempt to reconcile the two leaders but Arati declined to attend.

ODM wants Osoro to be arrested and charged in court for disrupting a bursary meeting that was being presided over by Arati last week.

During the incident, gunmen fired in the air to disperse crowds. Among those injured in the mele were Arati’s aides.

Mr Joshua Nyamori, a constitutional lawyer a UDA operative, accused ODM of being behind the violence in the region.

“Kenya is governed by the rule of law and no one should be allowed to engage in any war-mongering activities,” said Nyamori.

He accused ODM leaders of promoting political intolerance in Nyanza in their attempt to fight UDA’s incursions in the region.

Yesterday, ODM officials in Migori claimed their UDA counterparts have been issuing misleading statements. They claimed some individuals from the UDA are attempting to sow seeds of discord in the county.

Joseph Olala, the Migori ODM secretary, said UDA has failed to gain support in the county and the larger Nyanza region.

Dorice Kenyatta, the Migori County ODM women leader noted the county is firmly in ODM, “and any attempt to introduce another party will fail”.