Chaos as Wavinya, Waita supporters clash at prayer rally

A prayer meeting was on Friday disrupted because of political rivalry pitting two gubernatorial candidates in Machakos County.

The event organised by the clergy from across the county was disrupted for close to ten minutes after a section of youths unsuccessfully attempted to eject CCU Machakos gubernatorial candidate Nzioka Waita from the meeting.

Chaos erupted after Waita joined the clergy among other leaders in an event held at Machakos sports club.

Waita had just joined the meeting after a brief meeting with Azimio leader Raila Odinga at the club. Raila was welcomed by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

Also in the meeting were former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, Wiper governor candidate Wavinya Ndeti, Cotu secretary General Francis Atwoli, Babu Owino, Makueni governor Kivutha Kibwana, alongside other leaders from the Ukambani region.

The meeting was convened by pastors from Machakos County.

Waita was whisked by police officers who escorted him to awaiting car.

He, however, later joined the meeting together with Raila and the prayers meeting continued after calm was restored, but with tension as some youth still demanded that Waita should leave the meeting. He, however, stayed put in the meeting.

The clergy claimed it was only Ndeti they had invited to the meeting.

Earlier in the day, a former MCA had been ejected from the Wiper prayers meeting in Machakos County.

Alex Kathinzi who served as Kivaa ward MCA was frogmarched from the meeting after he was spotted by security details belonging to various leaders attending the event at Machakos Golf Club on Friday.

Kathinzi who had been proposed as the next Machakos Assembly speaker in CCU gubernatorial candidate Nzioka Waita's administration if he wins the August 9 polls was accused of attending a meeting in which he wasn't invited despite supporting Waita's political faction.

Kathinzi was frog matched from the clergy's dais to the Machakos Sports Club's gates. He was thrown the gates.

The incident happened a few minutes after Wiper's Machakos gubernatorial candidate Wavinya Ndeti arrived at the venue to join other leaders and pastors at the event.

Ndeti's supporters criticised the former County legislator for what they said attending the event to which he was never invited.

The prayer meeting is ongoing.

Raila is expected to preside over Azimio's political rally at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos after the prayer meeting.

He will later hold a road stop at the political rally at Mlolongo town in the Mavoko constituency on his way back to Nairobi.