Former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Mavoko MP Patrick Makau were among politicians arrested yesterday in connection with the chaos that rocked various parts of the country on Wednesday, leading to the deaths of eight people and destruction of property.

As this was happening, leaders from both sides of the political divide blamed each other for the violence. President William Ruto and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, accused Azimio leader Raila Odinga of taking the country towards anarchy. Azimio leaders on the other hand accused the government of failing to act on the citizen’s demand for it to lower the cost of living.

Oparanya was arrested in Kakamega county and was by last evening being interrogated by the officers from the regional Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Oparanya is the deputy party leader of ODM, the dominant partner in the Azimio Coalition, which is led by Raila, who had called for the Wednesday protests.

Yesterday, hundreds of demonstrators who were rounded up on the night after the protests were taken before various courts to answer charges related to the demonstrations that rocked various cities and towns across the country.

Azimio accused the police of using excessive force in quelling the protests while the government put the blame on opposition leaders, saying they had promised to hold peaceful rallies but the protests turned violent, with destruction of public and private property and attacks on civilians.

The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kithure Kindiki put the number of those detained over the protests at 312. He said among those arrested was an MP, presumably Makau.

“Violent protests that lead to deaths, injury of civilians and security officers, disruption of daily businesses, destruction of private and public property, and looting are acts of lawlessness that can neither be accepted nor tolerated,” the CS warned.

“There is no relationship between lowering the cost of living and destruction of critical infrastructure built using public funds.  That is hooliganism, lawlessness and a recipe for anarchy.” 

His Roads, Transport and Public Works counterpart, Kipchumba Murkomen, also blamed opposition leaders who he accused of sponsoring the vandalism of the Nairobi Expressway, leading to the loss of about Sh500 million of taxpayers money.

“If you look at the damage caused, they were targeting to loot valuables to sell, including copper wires and scrap metal,” Murkomen said.

He said about 50 youths who destroyed the infrastructure were arrested and were helping police to investigate the violence so that the masterminds can be identified.

And speaking in Tharaka Nithi yesterday, President Ruto said the government will not accept anarchy perpetrated by the Azimio Coalition.

Ruto said the government will be firm on Azimio and Raila, and will not allow chaos to destroy the country.

He wondered how paying young men to cause chaos, confusion and destroy property will change the cost of living.

“To you handshake brothers… you plan and use a lot of money that you stole to bring chaos in the country, using our youth to destroy property because you do not want us to progress. You want to hold us to ransom but we will save Kenyans,” Ruto told a gathering in Chogoria.

“We will not allow our handshake brothers to take our country hostage by causing violence, mayhem and anarchy and by bringing chaos in our country.”

And at a press conference in Nairobi, Azimio leaders called for fresh protests on Wednesday.

“We call on all Kenyans to defy State sponsored violence as witnessed in the past,” they said in a statement read on their behalf by DAP-Kenya party leader Eugene Wamalwa. “In the meantime, we proceed with the collection of signatures against Ruto on both digital and manual platforms.” He and other Azimio leaders condemned what he described as “police brutality” against demonstrators, saying this was a threat to democracy.

“Kenyans have a right to picket with or without permission from the State,” the statement said.
The leaders also threatened to institute private prosecutions against police bosses over the crackdown against protesters.

“We will also go for individual officers who were caught on camera shooting at unarmed protesters. We will seek both local and international legal redress,” Wamalwa said.

In Laikipia, Deputy President Gachagua warned that the government will not condone violent demonstrations. He said the government was hunting down the persons who looted and burned shops in Nairobi. 

“The persons who burnt shops and caused destruction in Kitengela are members of a criminal group. Their leader was paid to mobilise them and cause anarchy in Kitengela, Mlolongo and Mombasa Road. The boys who were looting things belong to that criminal gang. We are going to hunt them down,” said Gachagua, who put the death toll from the violent demonstrations at seven.

In Nairobi, 14 people were charged with unlawful assembling with the aim of maliciously destroying properties. The men, jointly with others who were not before court, were accused of taking part in an unlawful assembling on Mbagathi Road within Nairobi on Wednesday.

In the second count, the 14, jointly with others not before court, were charged with breaking a wind shield mirror and damaging the door of a motor vehicle, valued at approximately Sh20,000.

They denied the charges when the appeared before chief magistrate Bernard Ochoi. In Mombasa, three protestors were accused of blocking the Mombasa- Nairobi highway at Miritini area and forcibly stopping  motorists plying on the busy highway.

In Kisumu, one person was killed while scores sustained gunshot wounds and arrow injuries on the Kisumu-Kericho border during the anti-government demonstrations.

The protest turned ugly in Sondu area as residents of both sides armed themselves to protect lives and property. Nyakach sub-county Assistant County Commissioner Dawin Orina confirmed that one person died during the skirmishes while several others were injured and were receiving treatment at Nyabondo Mission and Sigowet hospitals.

Later yesterday, seven Azimio MPs claimed that 15 people were killed during Wednesday’s protests. Addressing a news conference in Parliament, the politicians condemned what they termed as police brutality that was meted on their supporters.

“We condemn the brutality of police meted on our people during the demonstration,” said the legislators ed by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi said it was unfortunate that the police teargased a school thus affecting numerous children who had to undergo treatment after inhaling the said fumes.

Reported by Noven Owiti, Kepher Otieno, Samuel Kariuki, Mercy Mwai, Anthony Mwangi, Harrison Kivisu and Irene Githinji