Police were forced to intervene at the Nyayo Stadium as the highly anticipated Gor Mahia elections nearly descended into chaos on Sunday, April 13.
In dramatic scenes, police lobbed tear gas canisters to disperse a crowd, as two warring factions threatened to derail the event into violence.
It remains unclear why chaos broke out, although reports reaching Kenyans.co.ke suggest some discontented supporters were concerned about how the polls were being conducted.
After some running battles that saw delegates and fans scamper for safety, calm was restored, and the elections proceeded without any other hitches.
The club, through their official social media, addressed the incident, terming it as "nothing big".
"A small incident here, but order restored. Nothing really big/serious. Our fans are used to tear gas, anyway. The election process is going on well," the club reiterated.
The highly anticipated Sunday event aims to elect new officials for the Kenya Premier League giants, who will then be in charge of national positions.
Among the big names in contention was Ambrose Rachier, who was seeking to defend his seat as chairman of the prestigious club. Outgoing club treasurer Dolphina Onyango, former treasurer Sally Bolo, and Philip Nyakwaka were also in contention for the chairperson seat.
Notably, the club also decided to hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the same day as the elections, with the AGM taking place in the basketball courts.
After an intense race, Rachier secured another win, extending his 17-year tenure as Gor Mahia chairman. The veteran floored his closest challenger, Dolphina Achieng, by securing 658 votes, compared to Achieng's 456.
Rachier's re-election effectively means that by the time he leaves the seat in 2029, he will have served as Gor Mahia chairperson for more than two decades.
Gor Mahia's elections were in line with a directive by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), which directed the club to conduct elections in 90 days after its 2019 constitution gave the current executives four years to serve.
