There were running battles between anti-IEBC demonstrators in Kisii on Wednesday leading to the injury of one officer and the destruction of property worth millions of shillings.
At least four heads of cattle used to train farmers from the South Nyanza region at the Agricultural Resource Centre were driven away during the mayhem.
Glass windows at the resource Centre were vandalized as the protesters engaged the police in day-long stone throwing.
The resource also houses the offices of Kisii governor James Ongwae and it was the venue where governorship candidates were meeting the IEBC even as the rioters engaged the police outside
By press time, Kisii Governor James Ongwae said the animals stolen had not been recovered.
The demonstrators were agitating for the removal of certain IEBC officers from the County on claims they were planning to rig the polls.
Governor Ongwae and other leaders, in separate press conferences, condemned the violent demonstrations saying they portend an ‘evil pattern’ as the country prepares for elections on August 8th.
They fingered ODM governorship candidate Simba Arati and linked him to the chaos.
The Dagoreti North MP has, however, denied connection to the violence.
He said the claims by the demonstrators should be given attention and addressed ahead of the polls.
"They are actually trying to hang on every thread to lynch me in the courts of public opinion because am ahead of them. Let me assure them that we shall win," he said during a press conference at his Motonto residence in Bobasi.
He also condemned the arbitrary arrests of the people who were engaged in lawful picketing and demonstrations in Itumbe to press for their rights.
Ongwae asked the security agencies to scale up surveillance to stem further anarchy in the region even as they called on the electorate to shun voting for him.
"Today they have uprooted the fence and vandalized this building. As I governor I am perturbed why this is being allowed to happen in a civilized society,” he told journalists.
One officer battling the unruly youth in the open fields outside the resource centre suffered a deep cut on the nape and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment.
Ongwae, speaking in vernacular, urged the electorate to reject Arati.
He said he bows out of the devolved unit a sad man due to the spate of riots breaking each day.
Jubilee party governorship candidate Chris Obure and party senatorial candidate Omingo Magara also castigated Arati.
Others who had upbraided Arati were women rep candidates Janet Ongera and Peris Onsarigo.
They, in a joint press conference, asked the president to intervene and end the madness in the county.
They said they have found little help from Interior CS Fred Matiangi who they claimed is backing Arati in his bid.
"We want to passionately appeal directly to the president and his brother Uhuru Kenyatta to come to our aid, help restore the order we had all been enjoying as residents of Kisii,” said Ongera who read the statement on their behalf.
Ongera said the raging violence is likely to cause voter apathy during polling and thus deny Odinga victory.
"The tragedy is that this violence is rearing its ugly head in Azimio and we are telling Raila Odinga to reign in,” she told journalists.
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