Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Several people have been injured and vehicles destroyed after rival groups clashed in the ongoing political campaigns in Nyeri town.

Nyeri Town Parliamentary candidate Duncan Maina had his vehicle’s windscreen smashed and his finger injured after he was attacked with stones by a group of rowdy youth.

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party candidate alleges that the youth allied to the area MP Ngunjiri Wambugu attacked him near the legislator’s constituency office.

“I was going to the Ruring’u area to meet some of the bodaboda operators in that area and upon reaching near the MP’s office, a group of young men who had jubilee T-shirts with my opponent’s name started hurling stones at my convoy, and my car’s windscreen was smashed,” he said.

Maina said that they had to run for safety at the Dog Section Police Post, where they were offered security and escorted to the Nyeri police station to record a statement.

He accused Wambugu of paying goons to disrupt his meetings.

“My opponent has recruited a gang of drug peddlers who are now terrorizing me in my meetings,” Maina alleged.

The politician is now calling on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to disqualify Wambugu, for flouting the electoral code of conduct.

“We are calling upon the IEBC to disqualify Ngunjiri, as he has meted violence on me and my people. I have posted my predicaments in a WhatsApp group that has all the IEBC officials and I hope they will take action,” he added.

However, speaking during a meeting with over 2000 of his supporters at Ruring’u, Wambugu accused Maina of sponsoring violence which led to the destruction of his campaign vehicles at Nyaribo on Monday evening.

“Maina has no authority of speaking about violence. His people last evening attacked my convoy at Nyaribo which led to the destruction of my vehicles. Some of my supporters are nursing injuries and in fact, one of them has been hospitalized,” Wambugu said adding that Maina had resorted to violence after sensing defeat.

While expressing confidence that he will beat the opponent on the ballot, the MP said he had instructed his supporters not to be involved in any form of violence even when provoked.

Nyeri Central Police boss Paul Kuria confirmed to People Daily Digital that investigations into the recent cases are ongoing.