Babu Owino's UDA Opponent Injured as Chaos Break Out at Jacaranda

Police at Jacaranda Gardens on Sunday, June 19, 2022.
Police at Jacaranda Gardens on Sunday, June 19, 2022.
Daily Nation

Embakasi East parliamentary candidate Francis Mureithi has been injured after chaos broke out at the Jacaranda Grounds ahead of Deputy President William Ruto's rally.

Violence broke out on Sunday, June 19, after rival groups laid claim to the venue that had also been booked by area MP Babu Owino.

Mureithi, who is Babu's main opponent in the forthcoming polls and the organizer of the Jacaranda rally, was seen bleeding after being stoned by the angry crowd.

Photos seen by Kenyans.co.ke showed the politician with a bloody trouser while his supporters stood next to him holding a blood-stained vest.

UDA Parliamentary Aspirant Francis Mureithi
UDA Parliamentary Aspirant Francis Mureithi.
File

Unidentified woman also sustained injuries in the melee that led to the arrest of one person by the time of publishing this article.

Police officers, who had left the venue when Owino announced that he had postponed his event, were forced to return and quell the violence by as they lobed teargas.

Ruto had earlier maintained that he would still attend the Jacaranda rally after attending a Church Service.

"The Kenya Kwanza fraternity and the entire hustler nation wishes a blessed Sunday to all na tukutane (and let's meet at) Jacaranda after church," stated the DP.

In the morning, a contingent of Police officers had been deployed to condone off the venue after learning that it had been double-booked by two rival political groups.

The confusion began on the night of Saturday, June 18 when Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who is affiliated with Azimio la Umoja, announced that he had canceled his event.

He later acknowledged that he chose to call off his event for the sake of peace.

"I had booked Jacaranda Grounds for my function today and notified the police while Ruto booked the same venue on the same day... I have full rights to use this ground today but let my People stay at home coz we love peace," he explained.

The presence of police officers, however, rubbed Kenya Kwanza leaders the wrong way, with some arguing that it was a loss of public funds.

"Misuse of security organs is a threat to every nation on this planet. Let's not keep quiet as some individuals are working hard to curtail our set freedoms of association - It's our constitutional right," Laikipia County Member of Parliament Cate Waruguru stated.

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino addressing a congregation In June, 2021
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino addressing a congregation In June, 2021
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