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The attacks is probably the ugliest in the history of their political battles.
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In February 2021, the two leaders exchanged blows at a funeral in Kisii.
Image: FILE
The supremacy battle between Kisii Governor Simba Arati and South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro has taken an ugly turn as they engage in dangerous confrontation.
The two abrasive leaders are locked in a bitter political fight for the control of the vote-rich county.
On Monday, their political differences degenerated into physical confrontation that left at least four people injured and several vehicles destroyed.
Gunshots rented the air as the two camps took on each other, forcing attendees of Arati's rally ran for their dear lives.
The confrontation happened in South Mugirango, Osoro’s constituency, where the county chief had gone to address a rally.
The attacks is probably the ugliest in the history of their political battles.
In February 2021, the two leaders exchanged blows at a funeral in Kisii.
On Tuesday, hundreds of residents who had gathered to listen to the governor were forced to scatter in various directions as gunshots rent the air.
Later, the two traded barbs as they accused each other of orchestrating the violence.
“As a law abiding governor what I have done was to file a report and leave it to the officers to probe it," Arati he told a group of boda boda riders and supporters outside Kisii Central police station in Kisii.
Osoro, who is the National Assembly Majority Whip, however rubbished accusations that he had orchestrated the raid.
Instead, he accused the governor’s security detail of earlier "commandeering his car mounted with speakers occasioning the skirmishes".
The South Mugirango MP was presiding over an education function at the constituency development fund offices when he was informed about the incident.
“I was not near then. I was about to head out to launch road construction work at Nyakembene when I heard that one of my cars had been commandeered off,” Osoro said.
It was when his supporters went for the car at the governor's rally that the fight began, resulting in the injury of his driver and one other staffer.
On Tuesday, Kisii police boss Charles Kases declined to comment on issue, instead, saying that he will issue a comprehensive statement on the incident.
The Monday confrontation was the culmination of their long-held political rivalry for the control of Kisii politics.
While Arati shifted his political base from Nairobi to Kisii in the run-up to the 2022 general election, when he ran and won the governor seat, Osoro is serving his second term as South Mugirango MP.
The two belong to rival political camps – ODM and UDA.
The South Mugirango legislator is a close ally of President William Ruto while Arati is a Raila confidant.
The two are known for their rough and abrasive politics, and have a huge following in the country.
In February 2021, the two fought on the podium during a funeral service attended by Ruto, who was then Deputy President, and Raila.
They were among leaders attending the funeral of Abel Gongera, the father of Kisii Deputy Governor Joash Maangi.
Trouble started when Arati rose to speak and castigated the hustler nation,the movement that was spearheaded by Ruto.
The former Dagoretti North MP also asked Ruto to apologise for the 2007 polls violence which saw more than 1,000 people were killed across the country.
“Our people died a painful death in the post-election violence, you must come here and apologise publicly,” he said.
It is at this moment that Osoro sprang up, confronted Arati and started engaging him in a fistfight before they were separated by leaders present and their bodyguards.