Teargas fired at Sifuna's rally in Kitengela

Chaos broke out in Kitengela as police fired tear gas at the crowd as Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other leaders were addressing the people on Sunday.

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A large crowd had gathered to listen to leaders allied to Sifuna when anti-riot officers moved in and fired tear gas canisters into the crowd, forcing an abrupt halt to the meeting.

It's not clear what prompted the police to throw the teargas to disperse thousands of supporters attending the Linda Wananchi rally.

The incident happened as Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna introduced other leaders who had joined him. Sifuna would later thank Kitengela and urged his supporters to stay put.

"Thank You Kitengela. Despite all the harassment, intimidation and violence from this morning, you showed up. They first destroyed our dais and sound equipment in the morning, and the state goons have now teargassed a peaceful assembly and brought it to an abrupt end. We shall not relent," Sifuna said.

When the first teargas was thrown, Sifuna was heard asking the crowd to remain calm, wondering who was disrupting the rally. It's then that more teargas was thrown, with crowds scampering for safety.

The rally ended abruptly as leaders drove off while the crowds ran in different directions.

Boda boda riders and residents who had turned up for the rally were seen scampering for safety as the situation quickly became unmanageable.

Videos seen indicated that within minutes of the melee, people began fleeing in different directions, while others struggled to move away from the choking fumes.

Sifuna was heard urging the crowds to stand firm even as most of the rally attendees scampered to safety.

The politicians' aides whisked them into their motor vehicles before the convoy sped towards Nairobi. Live bullets were also heard rending the air.

Transport had been paralysed along the Nairobi-Namanga Road as the politicians addressed the public.

Some youths could still be seen engaging police in running battles within the Kitengela town as the latter fired teargas to disperse surging crowds.

Some of those who were in attendance scampered to safety, while the majority remained on the streets, chanting anti-government slogans.

Most shops have remained closed in the town since Sunday morning. A few traders who were in operation closed their shops immediately when the tear gas canisters were hurled.

Before the incident, other leaders such as Siaya Governor James Orengo and Nyamira Senator Okongo Omogeni had addressed the crowd.

The leaders told the gathering that the spirit of the late party leader was with the group and not the rival Linda Ground currently meeting in Tononoka, Mombasa.

"We are asking President to demand his money back from that team in Mombasa," Orengo said as the crowd shouted, "One term."

The leaders vowed to rally behind Sifuna, who was fired as ODM SG before the Political Parties Tribunal reinstated him last Thursday. Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Saboti's Caleb Amisi are among those who managed to address the gathering.

Earlier, the group led by Sifuna attended a church service at ACK St. Peter's Orkeju Emanya Church in Kisaju, Kajiado County, but had not arrived in Kitengela town for the scheduled. Some supporters said they had been waiting since as early as 6:30 am.

“I can’t wait to see Sifuna; I have been waiting since 6:30 am,” a youth told The Star.

Despite the large number of Kenyans who thronged the cosmopolitan town, the situation initially remained calm. Motorists largely kept off the town centre as members of the public temporarily took over traffic control from police officers.

Security had been heightened ahead of the Linda Mwananchi political rally. Officers drawn from various police formations were deployed to the area after hundreds of youths flooded the town in anticipation of the Sunday afternoon event.

Several traders closed their shops as crowds jammed the town, although transport along the Nairobi–Namanga Road remained uninterrupted.