Kisumu Central Member of Parliament, Fred Ouda, has been arrested.
The lawmaker was arrested in the afternoon of Friday, October 22, over allegations of incitement to violence.
According to reports, his supporters clashed with a rival group leading to an eruption of sporadic chaos that forced law enforcement officers to intervene.
Police took Ouda into custody for questioning over the incident that led to destruction of property of unknown value.
According to police, several people were injured in the chaos that broke out in the Milimani area of Kisumu County with some forced to seek medical attention in various health centres in the area.
Ouda's supporters reportedly clashed with supporters of Joshua Oron, who is seeking to unseat the Kisumu Central MP in the 2022 elections.
Kisumu County Commander, Richard Ngeno, said the MP is being held for interrogation on issues of incitement and malicious damage to property.
Ngeno stated that the MP will be facing charges once investigations are complete and he will be arraigned on Monday, October 25.
This comes amid a warning to politicians and their supporters by Nyanza Regional Commander Karanja Muiruri that the police will not tolerate any form of political violence.
“Anybody involved in violence must face the full force of the law. We want peace in the region to help spur economic and development growth,” Karanja stated.
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) also vowed to take firm action against politicians fueling chaos in regions they consider their political backyards purportedly to lock out competitors.
NCIC Chairperson Samuel Kobia stated that the recent trend is unacceptable and cannot continue unchallenged.
He added that all politicians have a right to spread their ideas in all parts of the country without fear of intimidation or attack from opponents.
