MPs Kabeabea, Aburi in near fist fight at Ruto Meru meeting

Two MPs from Meru have almost engaged in a fist fight as political rivalry escalated during Deputy President William Ruto’s meeting in Tigania East.

Tigania East MP Josphat Kabeabea and East Africa Legislative Assembly member Mpuru Aburi were Saturday separated by security officers before they could exchange blows.

The two political rivals engaged in a brief physical fight as DP Ruto flagged off construction machinery after commissioning the construction of Thanantu-Mulika road.

Before the leaders arrived at the venue, their supporters engaged in a shouting match in what has emerged as a supremacy battle.

ROAD PROJECT

Mr Aburi, who is the former Tigania East MP, is said to have claimed credit for the road project, forcing Mr Kabeabea’s supporters to print posters and banners with pictures of the PNU legislator in an attempt to assert his authority in the area.

Mikinduri MCA Gabriel Chokera said it was a shame that the legislators clashed in public instead of joining hands to lobby for more development projects.

“Mr Aburi should give space to Mr Kabeabea to do his work as the MP for Tigania East. It is a shame that their differences have reached a point of fighting in public. Aburi was preventing Kabeabea from going near the deputy president leading to the altercation. Were it not for the security detail, they could have fought,” Mr Chokera said.

APOLOGISE

He said the two leaders should apologise to the public and focus on development.

The rivalry between the two leaders was amplified in their speeches as Mr Kabeabea accused his predecessor of underperforming.

“During the campaigns, I came with a promissory note of what I could do while my opponent presented what he had done. The people elected me. The technical training institute which was started by my opponent is incomplete and Sh77 million meant for Akaiga water project was misappropriated,” Mr Kabeabea said.

INITIATED PROJECT

In a rejoinder, Mr Aburi said he is the one who initiated the road project launched by the deputy president on Saturday only for the current MP to claim credit.

“This is a case of a man carrying a pregnant woman and claiming to be the father of the unborn child,” Mr Aburi said.

DP Ruto urged the two leaders to settle their differences as they are serving under one government.

Mr Kabeabea beat Mr Aburi in a hotly contested race that pitted the Jubilee Party against PNU.