The Kenya Kwanza Alliance will not hold its final Kakamega rally in Bukhungu Stadium, the Star has established.
Deputy President William Ruto, ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, and his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetangula were expected to lead a joint rally at the Stadium, this Sunday.
The group, however, says they were denied a permit to hold a rally at the stadium.
Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, now eyeing the governor seat, told the Star that the county resorted to what he termed "a cat and mouse game" when they sought a permit for the venue.
Malala said they used to pay Sh100,000 for the venue but they were asked to pay nine times the amount on Saturday.
"They told us to first pay Sh900,000 to use the venue. We negotiated with them and after we reached a deal they again told us the banks were now not working and that is how they locked us out," the Senator said in a phone call interview.
Malala however, maintained that the rally is still on and they will hold it outside the Stadium.
"The rally is still on. We will hold it at the road that is adjacent to the Stadium," the aspiring governor said.
Malala's sentiments were shared by Wetangula who said the rally is on.
"Tomorrow the 31st July 2022, Kenya Kwanza will have the mother of all rallies in Bukhungu Stadium Kakamega, the police and county gov behaviour/misbehaviour notwithstanding," he tweeted on Saturday.
The move could likely occasion a dramatic incident as the police will be expected to move in to push the crowd out of the road to enable access to the town.
The adjacent road is the main entrance to Kakamega town from Eldoret and Webuye.
Vehicles heading to Webuye and Eldoret ply the route to and from the town.
The staging of a rally at the road will now mean business will ground to a halt considering the turnout, as announced by Malala, is expected to be huge.
On Saturday, Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali was roughed up and beaten by police when he visited Bukhungu Stadium to inspect the venue.
Video seen by the Star showed the MP being manhandled by police who were escorting him to their standby vehicle.
In the Video, the MP was seemingly resisting arrest prompting the police to push him forcefully to the extent of assaulting him.
Washiali, however, remained defiant and opposed to boarding the police vehicle.
He is heard, shouting; "Mnanipiga, mnanipiga... Kwani mimi nimekosa nini?".
Loosely translates to: "You have beaten me, You have beaten me.... what offence have I committed?".
