Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata speaks during a past event / HANDOUT
Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata has claimed that his driver was shot during a Linda Mwananchi rally in Nyahururu on Sunday, in the latest incident to heighten political tensions ahead of the July 16 Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
The governor said his driver, identified as Gitari, was injured during the incident and is receiving treatment in the hospital.
"My driver, Gitari, has been shot during the Linda Mwananchi Rally in Nyahururu," Kang'ata said in a statement shared on his social media platforms.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting were not immediately clear, and it was not known who was responsible. Police had not issued an official statement on the incident by the time of publication.
Speaking to journalists after the incident, Kang'ata linked the violence to what he described as a series of attacks targeting the Linda Mwananchi team during its political engagements in the area.
"Last week we were in Kisii. We were rained on with stones. Today we came here to Ol Kalou and also to Nyahururu town. We were first stoned while in church, AIPCA. My vehicle was blocked. It was also confiscated by goons," he said.
Kang'ata said his driver sustained a gunshot wound and remains hospitalised.
"My driver was injured. There was a shooting incident in which he was shot. He's currently in the hospital. He has a bullet lodged in his chest. We are yet to ascertain whether it's a live bullet or a rubber bullet," he said.
He added that the driver had been left immobilised following the shooting.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, Kang'ata maintained that the movement had conducted peaceful engagements.
"It is very unfortunate. We came here in peace. We don't carry anything. We are only talking; we are only discussing. But it's so inhumane that what we get in return is being stoned," he said.
The governor appealed for calm, insisting that Linda Mwananchi remains committed to peaceful political activities.
"Our movement is peaceful. We don't believe in chaos. We don't believe in fights. We will soldier on because we don't have an alternative. We're only expressing ourselves, nothing else," he said.
The incident comes amid heightened political tensions ahead of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election.
On Saturday, Linda Mwananchi announced changes to its campaign programme, saying it had shelved plans to campaign in Ol Kalou and would instead tour Nyahururu.
In a statement issued on July 11, the movement alleged there were plans to attack its convoy during campaign activities in the constituency.
The group claimed that "goons" had been mobilised to disrupt its campaign and alleged there were plans to use any acts of self-defence by its supporters as justification for declaring a state of siege.
It said the decision to redirect the campaign to Nyahururu was intended to avoid any disruption of the by-election timetable.
The move followed concerns over security in Ol Kalou after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission warned that continued violence and breaches of the electoral code of conduct could affect the July 16 by-election.
Linda Mwananchi also appealed to residents of Ol Kalou to participate peacefully in the election and reject voter bribery.
