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| DP. William Ruto |
In a statement, the opposition party accused URP of sponsoring chaos and hooliganism to intimidate Lagat into withdrawing his support for the Pesa Mashinani referendum.
The Council of Governors also condemned the attack and vowed to continue with its campaign. It said in a statement that governors will not be intimidated by attacks.
"These are clearly politically motivated violence that every right-thinking Kenyan must condemn. A movement [Pesa Mashinani] whose time has come cannot be stopped by blunt objects, guns and death messages. The movement has outgrown the governors, it is now with the people," said a statement signed by three chiefs of staff, David Mutai of Bomet county, Nabii Nabwera of Kakamega and Tamima Ali of Mandera.
Four people, among them Nandi chief of staff Timon Kosgei, were seriously injured by anti-referendum agitators. The attackers were with Nandi Senator Stephen Sang as well as MPs Zipporah Kering, Elijah Lagat, Kirwa Bitok and Cornelius Serem - all of URP.
“The URP leadership needs to apologise to the Kenyan people while ensuring that it observes the proper political etiquette required in the democratic and civilised society that Kenyans aspire to be,” said ODM secretary general Anyang' Nyong'o.
"What happened in Nandi county is barbaric, shameful and intolerable. We condemn it unreservedly and call upon the URP leaders to desist from provoking and intimidating Governor Cleophas Lagat and his county government the way they have been doing,” ODM said.
While condemning the recent wave of political violence among rival groups, Ruto said the heckling at a presidential function in Migori two weeks ago, the disruption of a political meeting in Kapsabet on Monday and yesterday’s violence in Wote, Makueni county, were unacceptable.
"The level of intolerance we are experiencing is primitive and barbaric and must stop," Ruto said. He spoke during the official opening of Umma University in Kajiado county.
"We are making a mockery of our civilisation and democracy if we continue exhibiting the kind of intolerance we are seeing," said the Deputy President.
At the same time, ODM termed as a draconian and primitive tactic a decision by Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua to confiscate Okoa Kenya signature-collection booklets using county askaris.
“We wish to remind Mbugua this is a new era and that his style of administration, that of intimidation and oppressiveness, which he adopted while serving in the provincial administration, is not welcome in the present dispensation,” the Kisumu senator stated.
Source: The Star
