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Kanu, Ford People fight injures scores in Kisii

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Published on Sunday, 29 July 2007 23:09
Scores of people were injured when Kanu and Ford People supporters clashed in Kisii District. Among those injured was a retired military officer, Brigadier Silvanus Omboga, now a Kanu activist, who was stabbed during the weekend violence in Bonchari. Bonchari Kanu chairman Charles Onyancha, who is also aspiring for the seat on the ruling party's ticket, and Kisii Mayor Grace Nyangaresi, were caught up in the violence but escaped unhurt.

One Kanu official flashed out a pistol and the attackers retreated.Trouble started when the two groups met at Gesero and started fighting over the popularity of their leaders.Yesterday, local District Commissioner Orsman Warfa issued a stern warning to political leaders in Bonchari and directed the police to crack down on perpetrators of political thuggery.

"We will take measures against leaders who hire goons to intimidate their opponents," the DC warned.Mr Warfa said all leaders, including parliamentary aspirants, had a right to campaign without intimidation.No suspects had been arrested by yesterday.Local MP Zepedeo Opore, who is now in Ford-P, and his rival, Mr Onyancha, the Cooper Kenya managing director, could not be reached for comment.Elsewhere, the battle for Kanu supremacy in Kisii deepened on Monday when more than 300 leaders converged on Public Health Minister Sam Ongeri's rural home and declared him the community's spokesman.

The meeting came barely two weeks after another group endorsed Finance Minister Chris Obure as the "Kisii pointman".The delegation at Prof Ongeri's home, which included 54 councillors, former Cabinet Minister Protus Momanyi and professionals reaffirmed their support for Local Government Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.It also called for unity among Kisii Kanu leaders ahead of the General Election.
They said the community could not "afford to be left out of the next government".The councillors noted that Prof Ongeri was capable of campaigning for President Moi's choice of successor in the region.

Two weeks ago, Mr Obure, Assistant Minister Joseph Kiangoi and politicians Sam Nyamweya, Onyancha and Manson Oyongo organised a rally to campaign for Mr Kenyatta in Bonchari.They accused Prof Ongeri of derailing Mr Obure's rising star.But speaking after his endorsement, Prof Ongeri warned that Kanu infighting in Kisii would be harmful to the party.