Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has distanced himself from Friday’s incident in which youth disrupted a meeting in Makueni County, where Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, was supposed to speak.
In a series of tweets and a facebook post, Mutua said he had nothing to do with the chaos, despite the youth carrying Maendeleo Chap Chap banners, a development campaign initiated by him.
The governor said that he suspected the youth had been hired by the organizers of the meeting and told to carry the banners, in an attempt to associate him with violence.
“It is essential for us to have clear political competitions free of insults, violence and cheap political games. We must agree to disagree without resulting to intolerance,” Mutua wrote.
Friday’s incident forced Kalonzo Musyoka and his entourage to flee the scene after the youth started attacking the attendants of the meeting with whips, before bringing down the erected tents and dragging away plastic seats.
Wrangles have been witnessed in Ukambani in the past, with leaders feuding over development nad supremacy.
Governor Mutua recently broke into tears at a meeting in Kitui, as he explained that some leaders in the region were launching malicious attacks and propaganda against him, beacuse they are against his efforts to bring development in the region.
The governor said that the leaders were criticizing his Maendeleo Chap Chap development campaign because they had not done anything to develop their regions, despite being in power for so many years.
Here is his statement.
STATEMENT ON OCCURRENCES IN MAKUENI ON SEPTEMBER 4th 2015.
What occurred in Makueni where a wiper entourage was not allowed to speak is unfortunate. Freedom of assembly, speech and association are enshrined in our constitution and should be protected and respected.
From the reports I am getting, it is clear that the public was against the meetings but I suspect that the youths waving Maendeleo Chap Chap banners were hired by the organizers of the rallies as a cheap propaganda trick of smearing the Development Movement that I have started in the region.
They were simplistic attempts to associate me with violence, which I abhor.
It is essential for us to have clear political competitions free of insults, violence and cheap political games.
We must agree to disagree without resulting to intolerance.
Kenyans need politics of development not politics of poverty.
Change whose time has come cannot be stopped. The Maendeleo Chap Chap and Unity Movement will continue undeterred.
Governor Alfred Mutua.
Source-kenyans.co.ke
