It was a lucky escape for former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale after police gave him a chase right into a thick maize plantation.
The Bullfighter's attempt to address an illegal gathering at the county's airstrip was rudely interrupted when police stormed the venue and hurled a barrage of teargas before engaging the politician in a sprint that left everyone gasping for breath.
In a video seen by Kenyans.co.ke, Khalwale had convened the meeting on Saturday, June 6, to talk to his constituents over the adverse effects of Covid-19 on the county's residents. He accused the state of not doing enough to cushion its citizens.
The congregants, including boda boda riders, were forced to seek cover in the nearby maize plantations as police officers relentlessly pursued them.
Khalwale accused Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa of failure to distribute relief food.
"I am so angry after I learned that the government intended to take food to Navakholo and not Shinyalu... We can accept that the state brings trucks of relief food to give to politicians who are not close to their constituents.
"We all have masks, what we lack is food. We lack food not because we are lazy but because we respect the state. President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered that we should not go to work but stay home," stated Khalwale.
He further took a swipe at former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Central organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli, accusing them of dividing Western Kenya.
"I will not fight with Wetangula (embattled Ford Kenya leader), I will not fight with Musalia Mudavadi (ANC leader) because what I want is if we all choose to go right, we should keep moving to meet with DP William Ruto.
"Since Kenya has diverse communities, we agreed with the DP to include all of them when forming his government," stated Khalwale.
Khalwale has had long-running differences with Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya who he accused, in May, of abandoning the already suffering residents.
"I respect Oparanya but my respect is subsiding because he refused to help you. I also respect Uhuru [President Uhuru Kenyatta] but the respects diminishes when he refuses to help you," argued Khalwale at the time.
The state has rolled out a plan in which it has identified the country's most vulnerable households affected by Covid-19 who it sends a weekly stipend of Ksh1,000. Over 300,000 people have reportedly benefited from the programme as the unemployment rate caused by the pandemic hits one million.
