Thursday, January 27, 2011

Clash disrupts Narc-Kenya campaign rally


Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua (centre) accompanies the party’s candidate for the Kirinyaga Central by-election Daniel Karaba after he presented his nomination papers to electoral commission officials in Kerugoya on January 20, 2011. Photo/ JOSEPH KANYI
Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua (centre) accompanies the party’s candidate for the Kirinyaga Central by-election Daniel Karaba after he presented his nomination papers to electoral commission officials in Kerugoya on January 20, 2011. Photo/ JOSEPH KANYI  
By GEORGE MUNENE gamunene@yahoo.comPosted Wednesday, January 26 2011 at 21:32

Two rival groups clashed on Wednesday during campaigns for the Kirinyaga Central Parliamentary seat.
The commotion temporarily disrupted the Narc-Kenya rally at Kagumo town, which was attended by Gichugu MP Martha Karua and her Ikolomani counterpart, Dr Boni Khalwale.
The rally had been convened to drum up support for the party’s candidate in the by-election, Mr Daniel Karaba.
A group alleged to be supporters of a rival party stormed the rally on motorcycles as the Narc-K leaders were addressing the crowd.
The speeches were cut short as the intruders shouted, chanted slogans and fought Mr Karaba’s supporters.
Some of the people who had attended the rally took off in different directions.
However, the intruders were overpowered and thrown out of the rally as residents who stood at a distance cheered.
At one point, one of the riders was thrown from his motorcycle and had to flee on foot.
The two MPs protested at what the youths had done, accusing their rival of sensing defeat.
They called on the Interim Independent Electoral Commission to take disciplinary action against the candidate.
“These are youths sent to cause chaos and the candidate should face disciplinary action,” Dr Khalwale said.
Ms Karua, who is the chairperson of the Narc-K, said no amount of intimidation or acts of lawlessness would deter the party officials and leaders from campaigning for Mr Karaba.
She said she was confident that Mr Karaba would defeat all the other candidates during the by-election scheduled for February 16.
Ms Karua told the gathering that Mr Karaba had won the 2007 election but he was rigged out.
The seat fell vacant when the High Court nullified the election of Mr John Ngata Kariuki of Ford Asili on the grounds that the polls were flawed.
Ms Karua disassociated herself from the so-called Kikuyu, Kalenjin and Kamba political group, saying her party was not part of a tribal alliance.

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