The electoral commission on Tuesday summoned a Siaya MCA suspected of planning the violence that rocked NASA Presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s campaign in Arram, Rarieda, two weeks ago.
The MCA, who is alleged to be a sympathiser of Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga’s campaign team, is among several people who have been probed by the IEBC and the other investigative agents.
A source, who requested anonymity and is conversant with the ongoing investigations over the violence, said investigations show the MCA might have bankrolled the hired youths.
Siaya county IEBC returning officer Ruth Khulundu told the Star on the phone that the MCA was invited yesterday for questioning.
MCA probed over Siaya violence
She, however, downplayed claims the MCA was the prime suspect and that the commission has received detailed information about his major role in the violence that left scores of people injured.
“How did you get that information? Yes, the MCA is among several others whom we have questioned following the violence,” Khulundu said.
She declined to disclose the identity of the suspect as that would jeopardise investigations. On June 26, youths allied to Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo and Rasanga engaged each other in a fist fight, prompting Raila and his entourage to cut short their speeches.
Angry youths threw stones at the dais, prompting police officers to fire teargas as the NASA leaders were whisked away. Gumbo is running for governor as an independent, while Rasanga is running for reelection on the ODM ticket.
NASA leaders have since used the ugly incident to campaign against Gumbo, whom they claim organised the chaos. But Gumbo has distanced himself from the violence, saying the incident was stage-managed by Rasanga’s team to seek cheap political mileage after realising that his popularity was steadily growing.
Gumbo said machetes and other crude weapons, and the vehicles used to ferry the weapons have been identified, but the police are yet to make public those found culpable of orchestrating the violence.
The two rival factions were summoned by Khulundu last week in her office, and warned of severe consequences should they defy orders to stop their supporters from engaging in violence during and after the election.