Gunshots fired as youth disrupt Raila rally in Busia

Police fired live bullets to disperse protesting youth on Monday at a rally attended by ODM leader Raila Odinga in Busia.

The drama began when machete-wielding youth surged towards the main podium where the opposition chief and other ODM leaders were seated.

Raila’s security team was forced to build a human shield to block the youth from accessing Raila and his team.

Police were forced to swing into action by firing live bullets into the air to calm the situation.

Residents attending the rally were forced to flee as gunshots were fired.

Earlier in the day, Busia town was dotted by youth wielding machetes as Raila and his entourage attended an ODM delegates meeting in Malaba town in Teso North before the ODM chief addressed a rally in the town.

In Busia, after police calmed down the situation, National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi welcomed the ODM party leader to give his address.

Raila used the occasion to criticise those hiring youth to disrupt political events. He said ODM is a peaceful party.

Earlier in Malaba, the former prime minister criticized President William Ruto’s administration over the high cost of living.

He hit out at the Kenya Kwanza Government for allegedly running down the country's economy through mismanagement.

The Azimio leader said while airborne in a chopper, he was stunned by the massive traffic pile-up along the busy Northern Corridor, which stretched several kilometres.

“These trucks spend over three days along the highway thus creating non-tariff barriers, which is hurting the economies of the Great Lakes Region including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo and Southern Sudan,” he said.

“These trucks have been cleared at Mariakani and Mulolongo. I wonder why the trucks are subjected to further checks if it’s not corruption.”

Raila noted that as then Prime Minister, he visited Malaba, Busia Kenya, and Uganda, where they agreed to do away with numerous weighbridges, which were impacting negatively, the economies of East African Community Member States.

Raila told President Ruto that there was a need to have the Standard Guage Railway pass through Kisumu-Malaba to Kampala to spur the economic development of the region.

He agreed with sentiments by Teso North MP Oku Kaunya on the need to have equity in the county, the need to have operations of Malaba Municipality expedited, and the need to have Teso region given autonomy of a county.

“Devolution had many enemies with many leaders opposed to the expansion of 14 regions with Busia and Bungoma sharing one region and Kakamega and Vihiga also sharing one region. We managed to create 47 regions that were transformed into counties,” he said.

He said Azimio had ambitious plans if Azimio had succeeded in taking over government in 2022 with free primary, secondary, and university education, regretting that the Kenya Kwanza government had failed to deliver its mandate to its country residents.

Raila said the Constitution was clear that Early Childhood Development Education was under county governments, wondering why the national government didn’t want to give county governments funds to run ECDEs.

He lauded Busia County for taking position one in the number of ODM registered members, with Homabay, Kisumu, and Kakamega taking second, third, and fourth positions, respectively.

He urged Busia to maintain the lead by having more youths register as members.

ODM Deputy Party leader Wycliffe Oparanya told President Ruto to leave the Judiciary to do its work instead of engaging in endless squabbles with Chief Justice Martha Koome.

Busia Governor Paul Otuoma said his government was addressing the issue of drug shortage in hospitals, noting that the drugs would be supplied through wards.

ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna disclosed that Budalang’i constituency was leading in ODM members registration with 35,000 members. Funyula was second, Nambale third, Butula Fourth, Matayos fifth, and Teso North sixth with 37,000 out of 59,000 reflecting 63 per cent. Teso South closed the chapter.

Leaders, including Deputy Governor Arthur Odera, MPs Joseph Oyula (Butula), Raphael Wanjala (Budalang’i), Geoffrey Odanga (Matayos), Oundo Mudenyo (Funyula), Nairobi Assembly Majority Leader Peter Imwatok said there was a need for a paradigm shift to have Teso South and Teso North restore the party’s lost glory in Teso region especially Teso South.

Kaunya said:

“Although Teso North was ranked sixth in percentage, they were second in numbers to Funyula, promising to launch a massive registration drive to have many people join the orange party.”

Busia Woman representative Catherine Omanyo hit out at the government over its failure to release NGAAF and CDF funds.

Other leaders present included Saboti MP Caleb Hamisi, Kakamega Senator Godfrey Osotsi, Busia Deputy Speaker Ronald Ochalu, and MCAs Leonard Onyondo (Amukura East), Denzel Musumba (Chakol South) and former Amukura Central MCA Mose Baba.

Raila tour started by holding a consultative meeting with local leaders at Malaba Empowerment Centre.

He later presided over the launch of ODM member registration and verification at Malaba Dispensary grounds before holding a public rally at the same venue.