NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 28 – Police are pursuing a Nairobi based politician accused of financing and funding gangs to cause violence in the informal sector of Kawangware, around Congo and Area 56.
The politician, according to detectives has been holding night meetings with the leaders of the gangs in one of the posh estates in Nairobi, where he not only pay them but also issues directives.
“We are looking for him,” the senior detective told Capital FM News.
“While in public, he is seen calling for peace but doing a different thing behind the scenes…”
On Friday night, several houses were burnt down, leaving tens of area residents homeless and property of unknown value destroyed, while similar incidents were reported on Thursday night, hours after the repeat presidential election.
It started on Thursday night when a famous restaurant in the area was torched and adjacent shops burgled by youths whom victims say, “took advantage of the situation. They are saying we only own the houses but the land belongs to the Government.”
One Gerald Kinyua says, “all my electronics were stolen. The group was targeting those perceived to have participated in the repeat election.”
Tension remains high, as sharp political-tribal divisions continue to emerge following the repeat presidential poll that Raila Odinga, the opposition chief boycotted.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, who also facing 7 other presidential candidates is currently leading with 7.3 million votes though verification is underway.
-The hidden hand of politics-
“It is politically instigated,” those were the firm words of Pastor John Mirung’u, a resident of Kawangware for more than 40 years.
He says the area is highly cosmopolitan and all the residents have one thing in common, “they are all living a humble life.”
“It is politicians who are planning the violence which started as a simple demonstration against repeat elections in the areas the IEBC had postponed…not even issues about here but politics of other regions.”
And according to him, there is no animosity between communities “but the evil hand of politicians is to blame. They want to create a sharp tribal division to gain what is not clear among locals.
“Those who voted did it without any interference, while their brothers and sisters who boycotted respected that. Where is all this hatred coming from? It has been planted by the politicians.”
His appeal to the Government is; “arrest those inciting youths to turn against each other.”
Those are similar appeals by area residents, who have urged police to tame politicians inciting them saying, “we have co-existed in harmony for long.”
A spot check by Capital FM News in the area shows high police presence after detectives received intelligence reports that victims of the two days atrocities wanted to launch retaliation attacks.
Source link-capitalfm.co.ke
