Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya on Tuesday, March 25, shared footage that appeared to address the root cause of his woes during Kenya's World Cup qualifier match against Gabon.
Salasya made national headlines on Sunday, March 23, after he suffered an assault and was subsequently hauled off from the stadium by a section of the crowd, who appeared intent on seeing him leave the grounds before kick-off.
Amid questions on what led to the altercation between the vocal lawmaker and fans on a day when Kenyans were united against Gabon, speculations have been rife that Salasya's assault was political. The MP has also taken to social media in the wake of the assault to claim that sections of government allies had orchestrated the attack.
In one of Salasya's latest posts, the MP shared new footage showing the start of the altercation. In the footage, tempers appeared to be rising, with the MP engaging with several individuals in FKF Steward attire.
From the video, some of the stewards appear to be protecting the lawmaker, while another steward, visibly angry, tells off Salasya. Moments later, another individual in a steward's reflector goes after the MP, trying to punch him.
The footage then cuts to Salasya being hustled out of the stadium by a group of rowdy fans, including some stewards. Other fans, watching in disbelief, can be heard asking why the MP was being assaulted.
Taking to social media on Tuesday, Salasya faulted the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) for his woes, saying, "All the guys in green reflectors were strategically placed to deal with me in the name of stewards, alongside a few other individuals."
"FKF, you are to blame for what happened because you put goons as stewards to harass leaders who don't subscribe to their ideology."
Salasya's altercation with fans has since drawn sharp reactions from a section of leaders, including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who condemned the attack, terming it "an unfortunate act of political intolerance".
"What happened to Hon. Peter Salasya at Nyayo Stadium today is unfortunate. Political intolerance undermines the very foundation of our democracy, which relies on the ability to engage with differing views," Mudavadi said.
As far as the match was concerned, Kenya suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat, with talisman Michael Olunga scoring the Harambee Stars' only goal of the game.
The FKF, meanwhile, is set to issue a statement on Tuesday, addressing the security situation at the Nyayo Stadium after the Salasya incident and the curious case of Gate 8 getting broken down by eager fans on Sunday.
