Chaos, teargas, running battles and suspected live bullets marred Nasa leader Raila Odinga’s entry into Nairobi city centre upon his arrival from the US on Friday.
Mr Odinga left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in a convoy of tens of vehicles accompanied by a host of Nasa leaders and hundreds of their supporters.
GRIDLOCK
Chaos started immediately the convoy left the airport, with the vehicle ferrying Mr Odinga taking the wrong side of Mombasa Road.
This was because the route heading to Mombasa had a gridlock stretching kilometres following violent confrontations between police and Mr Odinga’s supporter in the morning.
The Nasa supporters wanted to force their way into the airport but police lobbed teargas canisters at City Cabanas and other sections of the road to arrest their march.
The convoy later diverted from Mombasa Road to Jogoo Road but the chaos followed Mr Odinga and his team as police engaged youths in running battles.
Their plan was to march through Jogoo Road on to Haile Sellasie Avenue, then into Uhuru Park, but the violent confrontations just would not stop.
LOSSES
The clashes between Nasa supporters and police brought business to a standstill on the busy road that serves eastern parts of the capital.
For the better part of the afternoon, no traffic was not moving as traders closed kiosks and fled for their safety.
A mini bus belonging to Forward Travellers sacco, a police lorry and two pull carts were torched outside Burma Market.
Along the road, smoke from burning tyres billowed and competed with the teargas police were firing without stopping.
From Rikana Supermarket all the way to Muthurwa Market, the road was littered with the rocks Nasa supporters used to engage the police.
At some point, police resorted to using live bullets, with gunshots heard for a few minutes near Muthurwa Market.
A man was seen in pain on live TV after he was allegedly shot in the foot.
-nation.co.ke
