Kenya: Sifuna Condemns Chaos in Gachagua Impeachment Public Hearings

Nairobi — Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has condemned the violence witnessed in various parts of the country during the ongoing public participation on the impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Sifuna was reacting to the chaos that has been seen in various parts of the country including Nairobi at the Bomas of Kenya where the exercise was temporarily suspended following a commotion.

The disruption began when activist George Morara, flanked by supporters chanting “Ruto Must Go,” attempted to address the meeting, making his way down the stairs.

“There is absolutely no reason for violence. There can never be justification for violence against anyone. Let everyone air their views unhindered because that is what democracy demands,” Sifuna said.

“The scenes from some of the public participation forums across the country are shameful and must be condemned. Ni maoni tu si vita!” he added.

At the Bomas of Kenya, legislators overseeing the forum, led by Ruaraka MP T.J. Kajwang, called for order.”Young men, please don’t disrupt this meeting,” the legislators urged.

Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi added, “Order, order, order. Can you secure those papers? You can’t come to a meeting and then disrupt it. Everyone has an opinion.”

As Kajwang called for calm, Morara went back to his seat. However, moments later, a group of youths approached and began hounding him.

Within seconds, chairs were thrown in his direction as others attempted to shield him from the angry mob.

Morara frantically dodged the attacks, running across the podium as the crowd, now agitated, hurled more chairs. Despite attempts to protect him, the situation escalated.

Elachi again appealed for calm, saying, “Please stop the violence. You can’t come to destroy a meeting. Let’s sit down. Those who came for public participation, sit down. Those who were mobilized to disrupt the meeting, leave.”

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Amid the chaos, Morara was eventually escorted out of the auditorium by a group of men as the crowd chanted, “Morara must go! Morara must go!”

As he exited, Ruaraka MP T.J. Kajwang quipped, “That’s the sweetness of Nairobi–we don’t want foolishness here.”

Morara later tweeted that he was injured and headed to the hospital, alleging an attempt to silence his opinion during the impeachment discussion.

“I was barred from entering Bomas at the gate. When I finally got in, I was denied the mic. Chaos erupted. I am hurt. Headed to the hospital. I live to speak another day,” he wrote.

The same unfolded in Nakuru county where the exercise on the impeachment motion was disrupted as a section of the public refused to participate in the exercise.

Expressing their anger on the exercise, the irked residents chased out the National Assembly clerks refusing to participate in the exercise.

“No, this will not happen just leave. This will not happen here just leave,” the unruly crowd was heard shouting.

Officials from the National Assembly tried to restore calm but their efforts were futile forcing them to leave the NG-CDF hall eventually.

In other parts of Nakuru county, the youths took to the streets shouting ‘Ruto must go’ even as the exercise continued seamlessly in other parts of the country.

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IRENE MWANGI

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