Police in Kisumu shoot in the air as rowdy youth disrupt DP’s rally

 

A smoke coming from a tear gas canister lobbed at unruly crowd who tried to disrupt DP Dr. William Ruto's Rally within Kondele in Kisumu today-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo

 Police in Kisumu shoot in the air as rowdy youth disrupt DP’s rally

POLICE in Kisumu have today been forced to lob tear gas canisters and shot in the air severally to scare away a section of unruly crowd in Kondele area who disrupted Deputy President Dr. William Ruto’s Public rally.

It all began after the crowd which started to troop in within the area as early as 8:00am to wait for the Deputy President to address them became impatient after they waited for so long until noon.

Earlier on, a section of the crowd chanted six thousand! Six Thousand! that rented the air for some time while saying that they prefer the Orange Democratic Movement Party Leader Raila Odinga’s  proposal of giving shs 6,000 per household where people are jobless if elected the next President during the next year’s polls.

Before his arrival in Kondele area, Ruto who is championing the Bottoms up approach economic model toured various areas like Jua Kali and Kisumu Main Bus terminus where he addressed the crowd peacefully.

 At Kondele roundabout, Police lobbed tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd that became unruly while wanting to block the DP from entering the area.

 The DP managed to address the crowd amid tear gas canisters being lobbed and gun shots fired in the air.

The Police engaged the crowd in a running battle in few minutes as Ruto addressed a section of the crowd who chanted UDA party Slogan Kazi ni Kazi.

In the melee, people ran for their dear lives including some journalists as police continue to shoot in the air to pave wave for the DP Ruto’s exit from the scene as his convoy headed towards Kisumu International Airport on his way to Migori County where he will have a similar town meeting with the residents of the areas just as he did in Kisumu yesterday before today’s public rally.

The DP while addressing the crowd condemned the incident terming it as barbaric while urging those inciting the youths against other politicians to desist from such acts at all cost.

Ruto says there should be politics of tolerance where all politicians are allowed to address Kenyans in any part of the country especially those seeking the top most seat during the next year’s polls.

The  Deputy President who yesterday held a town hall meeting with residents of the seven sub-counties of Kisumu County where they presented him with a wish list of what should be tackled in terms of development ranging from fish industry, Sugarcane and rice production.

Ruto pledged to incorporate the ideas into his economic model, adding that even those in the lower cadre should be able to be doing businesses and having employment when he forms the next Government under UDA.

He urges the residents of Nyanza region to vote UDA and be part of the next Government that will be formed after the next year’s General Elections if the party win the polls.