Jamhuri Day celebrations in Meru turned chaotic and were delayed for more than two hours after they descended into a political rally and show of bitter rivalry between Senator Kiraitu Murungi and Governor Peter Munya.
The arena, the Meru Polytechnic grounds, placed under tight security, had more than 3,000 residents, making it difficult to control the crowd.
Police had to use rubber bullets to disperse a section of rowdy youths.
Earlier, Munya showed up at the event with county employees and supporters in a motorcade, leaving county commissioner Wilfred Nyagwanga and other national government officials stranded at his office waiting for him.
Kiraitu
and Jubilee supporters were
waiting for the county commissioner and his team and when his motorcade left his Milimani residence, the Jubilee motorcade joined it to create the impression they are recognised by the national government.
However, their attempts to access the celebrations arena before the county commissioner were unsuccessful as Traffic police blocked the entrance to pave way for the county commissioner to go through first.
On Sunday, Munya hinted at changing the venue of celebrations to Urru Stadium in Tigania West, but the county commissioner insisted on having the event at the institution.
When they arrived at the venue, Jubilee leaders Rahim Dawood (North Imenti) Florence Kajuju (woman representative), Gideon Mwiti (Central Imenti) and Kiraitu were booed by Munya’s supporters.
Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi was the show stopper after he landed at the venue in a chopper at midday.
Nyagwanga had to intervene and explain the celebrations were national and should not be mistaken as a political rally.
Munya’s supporters kept chanting anti-Kiraitu slogans and, in a frenzy, Kiraitu’s supporters chanted anti-Munya slogans before they resorted to hurling chairs and water bottles across the field.
The county commissioner had to read the President’s speech under intense security after the leaders failed to agree on any protocol.
Resident Mercy Nthuku urged
the leaders and their supporters to tolerate each other, saying, “We are all Merus and nobody will leave this county. There is no need to sow seeds of discord among our people.”
