Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Rongo Town
SYMPTOMS signaling that the forthcoming by-election to fill the vacant South Mugirango parliamentary seat is likely to bread violence were witnessed last Wednesday evening when an aspirant was hit on the head with an object.
Abaga Sagero, and his supporter were beaten up and sustain bodily injuries. Hi8s car sideline and windscreen were also smashed.
He is vying for the by-election on the ticket of the National Vision party of Kenya, which is headed by the former powerful Cabinet Minister Nicholas Kiprono Biwott was attacked at Tabaka Township Secondary School during a well attended public rally.
The incident came only a few hours after the Chief Executive Officer of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission Mr.es Oswago who was visiting the region had issued a stern warning to all the political parties to conduct their campaign peaceful and to avoid inciting their supporter to violence.
Sagero was attacked by people suspected to be supporter of the immediate former area MP Omingo Magara.
Sagero later alleged that Magara who was also in attendance had spat on his face as he went to sit on the podium. an accusation which Magara fiercely denied.
The ugly incident which show Sagero being forcefully ejected out of the venue as punches and blows reignited on him started following his {Sagero} alleging that the cash money which Magara had donated at the meeting did not come from his pocket, but from the CDF kitty.
“This allegation seemed not to have gone down well with the former MP and when I went to sit at the podium , Magara spat on me and started venting blows on me.”
The aspirant further alleged that it was at this point when one of the local CDF committee official hit. But contacted Magara vehemently denied the claims that he had not touched his opponent nor did he spat on him. I did not even touch him. “He was only jeered and booed and forced to cut short his speech because he was maligning people’s names and inciting people to violence.”
Magara said Sagero was only “peacefully ejected out of the meeting venue by the local District Officer {DO} He accused his rival of using sweet words to infuriate his opponents and causing trouble as this would get him sympathy from the electorate.
But the Guicha Police Chief Richard Ng’etich, however, confirmed the incident adding that Sagero had already recorded a statement with the police who in turn have launched investigations.
At the same time Mr Oswago the CEO of the IIEC warned the aspirants that the election code is very clear, and the rule of law must be strictly adhered to. The CEO had travelled to the area in the company of the local election coordinator Sarah Ogaro.
Magara whose election in 2007 was nullified by a High Court Judge at the Kisii law court Justice Masinga on the strength of irregularities committed by the defunct Electoral Commission of Kenya last week ditched the ODM and announced that he would contest the by-election the ticket of the PDP.
Magara, however, made what the ODM local leaders have described as political blunder and excessive arrogance, when he challenged the Prime Minister Raila Odinga for a political duel in South Mugirango.
Local ODM leaders in the constituency says the challenge issued to Raila Odinga to share po9litical platform with him in the region is one of his many political gimmicks, which they predicted will come to0 an end of June 19tyh.
Instead of attacking the Prime Minister, Magara should come home and explain to the electorate what he has done during his close to six years of representation. He should stand up and account for his track record of development instead of having his pipe dream. Magara should also explain the reason why he had parted the company with the leader of F9ord People Simeon Nyachae who is arguably his political mentor.
Magara, they said is not a democrat. He deserted and abandoned the ODM for simple reason. Did not want to go through the normal party nomination process and had even allegedly asked for a direct nomination, a request, which the party leadership had turned down.
His other known predicament was his failure to secure a full cabinet slot in the grand coalition government.” Said one of the ODM aspirant who requested for his anonymity.
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leooderaomolo@yahoo.com