2002 Elections
More Injured As Violence Mars Crucial Elections
- Details
- Published on Monday, 23 July 2007 00:08
Mr. Asanyo was first treated at Ogembo Health Centre before being transferred to the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital where he was admitted at 11.30pm on Friday.
Yesterday, the Kanu boss said his entourage was visiting polling stations when the attackers in a pick-up vehicle and a Pajero pounced on them, about 300 metres from Nyakeyo polling station.
At the same time, a suspect was arrested over the attack on the Ford-Kenya candidate James Omingo Magara.
He was arrested by Ford Kenya supporters who found him in possession of a panga allegedly used to attack Mr. Magara.
The police initially locked up the suspect in a room at Tabaka Mission Hospital where a rowdy mob was baying for his blood.
Mr. Magara and his younger brother Titus are admitted in the hospital.
Gucha police boss Burundi Makokha later whisked the suspect away through a backdoor.
The officer declined to comment on the violence.
Over in a Nakuru, the Sunday Nation team found Mr. Asanyo being attended to by Dr Samson Obure, a consultant physician, at 11.30 am.
The Kanu official, speaking from his hospital bed, said his team had parked their vehicles on the roadside and were walking towards the polling station on a hilly area when the attackers struck.
He said: "All of a sudden the two vehicles come to a halt next to us. A man in the Pajero pointed at me saying: 'This is Asanyo! Kill him! He has given us a hard time!".
"On sensing danger we fled towards the polling station as some youths shot arrows and others threw rungus at me," he said.
Mr. Asanyo said he was hit by two rungus on the back as four arrows missed him narrowly.
Police officers manning the polling station ran to his rescue forcing the assailants to drive off in different directions.
Mr. Asanyo said he pleaded with his bodyguards and the police officers not to shoot at the attackers.
Mr. Asanyo thanked God for saving his life saying.
Mr. Asanyo appealed to the Abagusii community to stop being used to unleash violence on innocent people and instead use their votes to pick their leaders.
Meanwhile, the ruling party Kanu yesterday won two civic seats in Busia District in peaceful by-elections.
Mr. Oduori Obajo, of Odiado Ward in Funyula constituency, garnered 288 votes against his Ford-K rival, Mr. Christopher Barasa, who got 212.
At Nambuku Ward in the same constituency, Mr. Vincent Olumbe also of Kanu got 1,023 votes, Mr. Dickson Okuku of Ford-K 750 votes and Mr. Josephat Nageri of Labour Party 45 votes.
In Thika District, Kanu captured two out of the five civic seats in Ruiru and Thika municipalities.
The ruling party's candidate in Thika's Hospital Ward garnered 322 votes to trounce Democratic Party's Simon Maina Mukanju who got 249 votes.
In Ruiru's Kahawa Sukari Ward, Wilson Irungu of Kanu got 170 vote defeating his sole opponent Ms Francisca Wangari (DP) polled 154.
The other three Ruiru seats were shared among opposition candidates, with Safina's Kenneth Kamau winning the Murera Ward, DP's John Waweru the Gatong'ora Ward and Wainaina Kigoro of NDP capturing the Biashara ward.
The local coordinator of the elections, Mr. Thomas Ngugi, said the turn out was poor with the votes cast representing an average of 20 per cent of the registered voters.
The Kanu boss said one of Mr. Simeon Nyachae's son by the name Michael Moragia was chased away by irate voters when he attempted to bribe them in one of the polling stations.
He added voters had also threatened to beat up the West Mugirango Mp Henry Obwocha when he also visited a polling station and started dishing out money.
