By Anderson Ojwang’
On Wednesday, the country’s leading political blocks, Nyanza and Mt Kenya, displayed two sets of politics: maturity and immaturity.
In Nyandarua, they hosted President William Ruto for a burial of the Ol Kalou MP. After weeks of warring and public abuse between President Ruto and his impeached deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, they finally met for the first time after the impeachment.
Ahead of the meeting, the political atmosphere was tense, with the media predicting a possible confrontation at the burial. President Ruto was accompanied by his political troops, while Rigathi, the self-declared king of the Mountain, also mobilized and was accompanied by his lieutenants and arrived at the venue ready for a showdown, which turned out to be a melodrama.
In Nyandarua, Mt Kenya raised the bar high when the expected political showdown between President Ruto and Gachagua was turned into melodrama.
While in Kisumu, out of the blue, the region sunk to its lowest when political goons attacked Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi over his political affiliation and left him admitted at the hospital with serious injuries.
The attack put Kisumu in the spotlight over the emergence and increasing number of political gangs in the region ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Kisumu, which had shed off the bad image of political violence and thuggery, is fast sliding back to the old habit of political goons and intolerance that had negated investment in the region.
In Nyandarua, Gachagua relayed and read out a riot act to the residents to respect President Ruto, and his usual slogan of “one term” was vetoed.
Apart from lamentations and crying foul over his impeachment, the audience remained calm with no shouting or any form of disturbance.
Gachagua laughed off earlier predictions by the media that the burial would be confrontational.
Even in the program that went viral on social media and had no mention of the opposition, Gachagua and his team were still accommodated and provided with space and time to speak.
Gachagua warned the mourners and the residents that President Ruto deserves respect and that he doesn’t want to hear any shouts of “Ruto must go.”
“Today is a solemn moment. I want the president to speak and you give him respect. I don’t want to hear anyone shouting ‘one term,'” he said.
He said Mt Kenya loved and respected Ruto but he betrayed them, and that will be sorted out at the 2027 general elections.
“Ruto has come in good faith. Let us respect him. Let him speak and go,” he said.
Gachagua then turned to lamentation, accusing President Ruto of chasing him from his office to Wamunyoro.
“You chased me, and I went to Wamunyoro. We are listening to the ground, and we will sort our differences at the ballot,” he said.
Gachagua went ahead to introduce his team of sitting MPs, senators, MCAs and aspirants allied to him and joined a hymn after he concluded the introduction.
In Kisumu, with no provocation, goons attacked Osotsi at Java Restaurant and left him with serious injuries over his political affiliation, which is opposed to President Ruto’s two-term bid.
In a statement by his director of communication, Mr Derick Luvega, the Senator had made a routine visit to the Acacia area for personal grooming (to take a shave) before proceeding to Java Restaurant.
“At the restaurant he met a friend and interacted cordially with members of the public for approximately thirty minutes. It was during this time that a group of gun-wielding individuals confronted him, questioning his political stance and subsequently subjecting him to physical manhandling. They demanded to know why he is supporting one-term and not two-term,” he said.
The Senator is a principal in the ODM faction of Linda Mwananchi, which is against the pre-election coalition arrangement between ODM and UDA.
Osotsi was recently sacked as the ODM deputy party leader during the Special Delegates Conference, which confirmed Dr Oburu Oginga as the party leader, Governor Simba Arati and his Mombasa counterpart Abdulsamad Nassir as deputy party leaders, while Homa Bay’s Gladys Wanga was confirmed as the National Chairperson.
Siaya Governor James Orengo, a member of the faction, termed the incident as unfortunate and blamed the government for the attack.
“This political attack is happening to him in Kisumu for a second time. The police know what is happening, and the police are being used in Kisumu,” he said.
Orengo said during their rally in Kakamega, the Kisumu airport was surrounded by goons to deny them entry into town.
“This is making Kisumu a small port of thugs. Thugs and goons run the city, and it is happening in broad daylight,” he said.
Orengo said the incident was giving Kisumu a bad name and immature politics in the region.
“We are creating immature and primitive politics in this part of the country. It has never happened like this that goons control politics,” he said.
ODM Vice Chairman Dr Otiende Amolo expressed disappointment over the alleged attack on the Senator.
“This act of cowardice, political intolerance and goonism must be condemned and stamped out. If we don’t, 2027 might be ominous,” he wrote on his social media handle.
Kisumu Deputy Governor Dr Mathews Owili condemned the incident, saying the county leadership encourages democracy and divergent views.
“Kisumu County will not tolerate any form of political violence, intimidation, or criminal activities within its jurisdiction. Those who imagine that they can undermine peace and stability through acts of brutality are gravely mistaken,” he said.
