GSU move in to dispel rowdy youth in Nyatike
Mr Tom Odege right, with the former NHIF Chief Executive Officer Richard Kerich at a past press conference in Nairobi.
General Service Unit officers were called in to repulse supporters of Mr Tom Odege, an aspirant in Nyatike constituency, who were protesting a move by the IEBC to clear former area MP Edick Anyanga to vie for the seat on an ODM ticket.
Nyatike returning officer Moses Daula said that although both Mr Anyanga and Mr Odege had Orange party certificates, the former was listed on the IEBC website as the legitimate party nominee.
The GSU officers, assisted by regular and administration police, hurled tear gas canisters at the group that had gathered at the Macalder district headquarters.
Shots were fired in the air to disperse them after IEBC officials complained they were being harassed and intimidated by the group.
Nyatike district police boss Richard Bitonga said they arrested 16 youths and impounded 10 motorcycles after the group tried to block roads and loot some shops.
“We will continue to carry out our security surveillance both day and night to make sure peace is maintained. Any lawbreaker will be dealt with accordingly … we will not entertain violence of any nature ahead of the polls,” he said.
However, Mr Odege maintained he was the one who should have been nominated for the Nyatike seat, not Mr Anyanga.
But Mr Anyanga said IEBC was “fully aware of legitimate party candidates whose certificates were valid” and asked his rivals to support him in a bid to ensure Prime Minister Raila Odinga got maximum votes from the region.
Mr Daula said the IEBC was using the names in their website to clear a candidate in cases where parties had issued more than one nomination certificate for a seat.
But at a press conference in Nairobi yesterday, Mr Odege blamed Mr Daula for colluding with Mr Anyanga and security agencies in Nyatike to prevent him from presenting his papers to the IEBC.
“I have the genuine certificate and ... confirmation from ODM elections board chairman Franklin Bett that it’s me that is their candidate for the party ticket. It is immoral that Daula refused to accept my papers,” he said.
He added that if ODM clears Mr Anyanga to run for the Nyatike seat, he and his supporters would rally behind another candidate sponsored by either Ford-K or Wiper, which are part of the Cord alliance.
