Obado heckled during Ruto tour in Migori » Capital News

MIGORI, Kenya Nov 11 – Migori Governor Okoth Obado was heckled in two instances in Homa Bay and Migori Counties Thursday when he accompanied Deputy President William Ruto who was touring Nyanza region for campaigns.

Ruto, who was winding up his three-day tour of Nyanza region, was however, allowed to explain his bottom-up economic model to jubilant supporters who turned up to listen to him.

Obado addressed the people amid heckling in Homa Bay town, with some accusing him of disrespecting Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga.

“No way, you left baba, we can’t listen to you,” they chanted in unison.

And they reminded him of the cases facing him in court over corruption and the murder of Sharon Otieno, a University student who was found killed and her body dumped in a forest in Oyugis. The prosecution told court they were intimate and he is accused of having hired people to kill her over the pregnancy.

He is out on bond on both cases.

The Governor was later confronted by the ugly scenes in his backyard as efforts to have Ruto address supporters at Posta Grounds in Migori town hit a snag.

It forced Ruto to end his tour of the region with an address at Migori Bus Park before he left.

Ruto had pitched tent in South Nyanza for two days where he told his competitors who are seeking endorsement for the country’s top leadership to “abandon their ambition and go home”.

He says some of his competitors are dragging their feet by engaging in board room meetings waiting for endorsements.

This was in an apparent reference to One Kenya Alliance (OKA) principals, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi, Gideon Moi of KANU and Moses Wetangula of FORD Kenya.

“It is only Kenyans who have the mandate as per the Constitution to elect their leaders from MCA to President,” he said, also taking on Odinga and the OKA team that has previously held a meeting with Mt Kenya Foundation leaders in Nairobi.

He assured the people of South Nyanza that he will make frequent campaigns in the area to end the narrative that the region belongs to the ODM party and Odinga.

“Such profiling is a way of promoting ethnicity and division in the country, this visit is not a hit and run visit, I intend to build the bridge between Nyanza people and the rest of Kenyans,” he said.

On Wednesday, Ruto’s convoy was stoned in Kondele, Kisumu including his own Lexus.

Ruto has accused Raila of orchestrating the violence, with more leaders demanding action against teh violence organisers.

But Odinga has dismissed them saying it is Ruto who provoked the youth in his remarks during a roadside rally.

“If you yourself utter a speech that makes the crowd angry, this may make some people react and take action in unsavoury ways,” Raila said, “I however don’t see a problem here since we have come from a different level of democracy to another. Democracy is continuing to thrive in our country.”

Police were forced to lob teargas during the incident that left at least seven vehicles, including Ruto’s, stoned.

No major casualty was reported from the incident in which police lobbed teargas to disperse the rowdy group that had blocked the DP from accessing Kondele.

His convoy was forced to make a U-turn at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital before rerouting back as police cleared the way using teargas canisters.

While at Kondele, stones were hurled at Ruto as he explained his bottom-up economic model. He offered youths and women groups Sh2.5 million each to spur their businesses.

In brief comments over the stone-throwing incident, Ruto condemned political leaders inciting youths saying it was time to liberate Kondele from the culture of hostility.

Ruto insisted everybody is free to visit any part of the country.

He later made his way to the airport to take a chopper to Homa Bay County for a meeting with youths in Kabondo Kasipul Constituency.

“The leader of ODM should stop using innocent youth to throw stones at other leaders because we have matured as a democracy,” he said, “If it is stone-throwing, let them (politicians) be on the frontline with their children.”

The chaos were condemned by several leaders including Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi and KANU’s Gideon Moi who has called for investigations and prosecutions of culprits.