Groups clash in Murang’a over Wahome’s anti-Uhuru remarks

Two opposing political factions have clashed at a hotel in Kenol, Murang’a County, over attacks on President Uhuru Kenyatta by Kandara MP Alice Wahome.

Trouble started when the group opposed to the MP stormed the venue of a Monday morning press conference being addressed by another group.

The press briefing was being aired live on a vernacular TV station.

Those opposed to the MP said they would not allow any person or leader to disrespect the President. They said the MP’s aim was to prevent the Head of State from visiting the area this month to launch development projects.

RESPECT UHURU

“We shall not allow the MP, her supporters or any other leader in this region to disrespect the Head of State. If the supporters want to issue a statement, let them go to Malindi where the MP chose to issue the disparaging remarks against our President,” a faction led by former councillor Alex Mbote said.

A group of rowdy youths disrupted the press briefing.

According to the group opposed to Ms Wahome, the MP has failed in her mandate to legislate in the National Assembly and opted to divert her frustrations to President Kenyatta who, according to them, is working tirelessly to bring development and to unite the country.

“Instead of leaders complementing the Head of State's efforts in his Big Four agenda, they have joined hands with anti-Uhuru leaders to paint a picture of a lazy President. From now henceforth, it will not be business as usual. We will not allow any leader to disrespect the President in this region,” Mr Joshua Githinji said.

MT KENYA VISIT

They claimed the MP and her colleagues were on a mission to ensure that the visits by the President slated for this month abort in order for them to get a reason to continue spreading rumours that Mr Kenyatta is not working.

"The President is expected to visit the region to launch projects worth billions of shillings and, since they want to perpetuate a narrative that our President is not working, they want to stop him from launching the projects," they claimed.

But the group allied to Ms Wahome praised their MP, hailing her as a brave and courageous leader who faced the President and told him their feelings and the “feelings of every sane leader in the country”.

“We respect the President and the MP too; we voted for them and we want them to work together. The MP only shared our thoughts and feelings to the President and this should not be a cause for alarm. We stand with our MP,” the group, led by Mr Robinson Thuo, told journalists before the press conference was disrupted.

“The economy is in a poor state. We have no money especially farmers who depend on agriculture as their mainstay and this is what people at the grassroots feel. The President should look into the issues and stop listening to some leaders who are misleading him,” said the youths.