Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire/SCREENGRAB
Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire has explained what transpired during a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) meeting at Nemburi Grounds in Embu on Saturday, where the gathering attended by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki was disrupted.
Mbarire said the security team had been briefed about reports that some youths had been brought to the venue to cause disruption.
“This morning, vijana wengine kutoka town waliletwa hapa na Nissans asubuhi. We were told kuna vijana wamekuja na wameambiwa wakuje walete fujo katika mkutano wetu,” Mbarire said.
She claimed some were sent by a certain leader to come and ask for Sh2000 each from the deputy president.
According to Mbarire, security officers had taken measures to control access to the meeting.
She explained that only selected people were allowed into the venue, including UDA members, leaders, delegates and people who had messages on their phones confirming their participation.
“They only allowed the members, leaders of UDA, the delegates, the ones who had messages on their phones are the ones who were allowed to come in,” Mbarire said.
She said the situation later changed as the meeting was ongoing, with stones being thrown at the gathering.
“After that, wale walikua wametumwa wakaanza kutupa mawe,” she said.
Mbarire said one young man was hit on the head during the confrontation and was taken to hospital.
“Along the way, kijana mmoja akagongwa na jiwe kwa kichwa lakini amekimbizwa kwa hospitali,” she said.
She said police officers were subsequently forced to use tear gas to disperse the crowd after the situation became unruly.
“So after that, the police had no choice but to disperse the crowd using tear gas because now it was becoming unruly,” Mbarire said.
The governor said the disruption continued even after the meeting ended and delegates began leaving the venue.
She said some delegates were blocked on their way out, while others sought shelter in nearby homes.
“The sad thing is that after our meeting and we had finished with the delegates, some of the delegates were blocked on their way,” Mbarire said.
She added that she had received calls from some delegates saying they had taken cover in people’s homes.
“Some have gone to hide in people's homes to get cover,” she said.
Mbarire also said she had received reports that some delegates’ UDA T-shirts and caps had been taken and that some had been burnt.
Kindiki later condemned the disruption, saying UDA regretted the loss and damage resulting from the incident. He said the party condemned violence and called on law enforcement agencies to take action against those responsible.
Kindiki said UDA supported issue-based political competition and opposed attempts to force political support through “lies, violence and useless slogans”.
UDA’s leadership in Embu was tasked with verifying the exact nature of the loss and damage reported during the incident.
Several vehicles were reportedly damaged during the confrontation, while reports also emerged that some people may have lost their lives. The number of possible casualties had not been independently verified at the time of reporting.
