Shortly before noon, Gachagua supporters were challenged by a group of young people who were allegedly paid to cause trouble.
Just a few meters from the church entrance, the two factions engaged in a furious exchange of words that caused tensions to spike.
As the dispute escalated into a full-fledged standoff, the road leading into the church grounds was swiftly barricaded.
When the altercation got out of control, police officers who had been sent to keep the peace quickly intervened.
To disperse the unruly groups, they fired rounds into the air and threw tear gas canisters, prompting locals and onlookers to run for their lives.
Clouds of tear gas poured around the neighborhood, disrupting local business operations.
While authorities shoved the opposing groups away from the church gates, footage showed locals scurrying away.
The service inside the sanctuary was suspended for almost five minutes while worshippers battled the suffocating smells.
As Benjamin Mejjadonk, the MP for Embakasi Central, continued speaking, many covered their noses with handkerchiefs.
After the fighting parties were forcibly removed from the area, police were able to reestablish order.
Although there were no serious injuries reported, the church was nonetheless heavily guarded when the ceremony continued.
Three days had passed after DCP candidate David Warui emerged victorious in a closely contested by-election for the Kariobangi North MCA seat.
Warui defeated independent candidate John Kimanzi, who received 1,956 votes, with 2,282 votes. The DCP celebrated the win as a major political turning point for the party.
When the turmoil broke out in the middle of the morning, Gachagua had gone to the Thanksgiving service in Warui's honor.
As investigations into what caused the violent altercation continue, the party has not yet released a formal statement regarding the incident.
Hello, my name is Yoruba. I'm a 25 year old self-employed blogger from the Africa.
No comments:
Post a Comment