Gachagua forced to flee, car stoned as chaos rocks Limuru funeral
What you need to know:
- The former Deputy President was yet to address the mourners when the youths struck.
- The rowdy youths attempted to bring down the tent under which the former DP was seated.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was on Thursday forced to flee from an irate mob that stormed a burial ceremony he was attending in Kiambu County.
Mr Gachagua's personal vehicle was stoned and the rear window smashed as several mourners suffered injuries.
The former DP had yet to address mourners when the youths struck, first attempting to bring down the tent under which the former DP was seated.
Mr Gachagua and some of his allies were attending the burial ceremony of Erastus Nduati, 23, at Bibirioni village, Limuru Constituency.
Former Limuru MP Peter Mwathi was on the podium when the microphone went off and hell broke loose.
Earlier on, the youths had twice attempted to disrupt the function but the clergy ensured the event proceeded uninterrupted.
It was when Mr Mwathi started disparaging those opposed to Mr Gachagua that chaos erupted.
"The people's deputy president Mr Gachagua should not shy away from addressing us in mother tongue since even the President himself recently spoke in his mother tongue when he toured his backyard," Mwathi said.
Public address system switched off
He had started mentioning Gachagua’s political strategy for 2027, when someone switched off the public address system.
Then the goons rushed to the tent where Mr Gachagua was seated and dismantled it. His security swiftly shielded him, led him to his vehicle and drove off.
Other dignitaries who were caught up in the melee were host MP John Kiragu, Kiambu Senator Karungo Wa Thang'wa, Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo, Mukurweini MP John Kaguchia, Kajiado Senator Seki Lenku and several Members of County Assemblies.
Gachagua’s allies immediately blamed the violence on President William Ruto's loyalists.
"This is a well-planned attack that started that was hatched last Sunday by well-known people. The target is Mr Gachagua. Their masters in government started by withdrawing Gachagua’s security to make him vulnerable,” Mr Thang'wa said.
"Those desperados want to make it appear there are tensions in Mt Kenya region when all there is are individuals who have lost favour with the ground and are now trying to bar Gachagua from influencing the voters," he added.
In recent weeks, President Ruto and his loyalists have been subjected to hostile reception in public functions in Mt Kenya region.
President Ruto himself was recently jeered by a hostile gathering when he visited Embu County.
The hostilities started building up following Mr Gachagua’s impeachment and the subsequent appointment of Prof Kithure Kindiki as the Deputy President.
Prof Kindiki has also has been attracting mixed emotions in Mt Kenya region.
Meanwhile, the Kiambu County Security Committee on Thursday evening termed the violence at the burial ceremony as "politically instigated."
"There was crowd trouble that erupted owing to political competition between rival factions," the committee said in a statement.
While the committee noted that the incident is being investigated, it did not name anyone linked to the violence.
"The incident is being investigated with a view of getting at the culprits. We have dispatched our National Government Administration Officers to monitor the situation and to carry out sensitisation about tolerance," the committee said in the statement.
This is the second time within a week that Mr Gachagua has gotten in trouble while attending a public event. The first incident happened last Sunday in Murang'a County where Mr Gachagua had shown up at a peace caravan concert at Ihura Stadium.
Mr Gachagua had first worshiped at AIPCA Kangari Church in Kigumo Constituency before he visited veteran secular musician Daniel Kamau (DK) wa Maria in Gatanga constituency where he accused President Ruto's government of intimidating him from advancing a political cause in the country.
"I want to tell him that I'm not even started… I will intensify activities to cover the whole country including in his backyard of Uasin Gishu... this country belongs to us all," he said.
He later joined the Murang'a peace caravan accompanied by Senators Joe Nyutu, Karungo Thang'wa (Kiambu), James Murango (Kirinyaga), John Methu (Nyandarua) as well as MPs Joseph Munyoro (Kigumo), James Gakuya (Embakasi North), Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi Central), Edward Muriu (Gatanga) and former Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu.
But gospel musician Martin wa Janet immediately disconnected the public address system to deny Mr Gachagua and his entourage the opportunity to address the gathering.
Mr Wa Janet went ahead to demand a public apology from Mr Gachagua, whom he accused of gatecrashing the event.
“I have in the past organised musical concerts where I have invited Mr Gachagua... but he has never attended. When he heard I was in Murang'a for this peace caravan, that he had not been invited to, he chose to come and dispersed it,” Wa Janet said.
“I am demanding that Mr Gachagua shows up in a TV station or in a public rally and apologises to all musicians who had been slated to perform but never did, owing to the disruption,” he said.
“Mr Gachagua’s impeachement should not be made a community issue since when he was in employment, he was earning for himself and family. Gachagua’s ouster should not be used to make create hostilities between the public and President Ruto since we were not there when their relationship got sour,” he added.
The musician also accused the former Deputy President of sowing the seeds of political intolerance in Mt Kenya region.
