Chaos erupted during the official launch of the Mulmulwas movement in Kapenguria Township, West Pokot County on Friday evening after two rival groups clashed. Supporters of area Governor John Lonyangapuo and those of Mulmulwas movement engaged in running battles and fights. Several people were injured in the fracas between the groups.
This comes barely a few days after the West Pokot Governor Prof John Lonyangapuo described the leader of the movement Mr. Dennis Ruto Kapchok aka Mulmulwas meaning something round like a ball after a video went viral on social media.
Lonyangapuo who spoke in Makutano town few months ago described Mr. Kapchok as a”Kijana mfupi round’ huwezi jua tumbo ni wapi mgongo ni wapi after he raised concern over the absentee Deputy governor Dr. Nicholas Atudonyang in the County.
Earlier during the day, officers from the County government had stopped the arrangements for the launch saying the group did not pay for the revenue fee for the venue at Chelang’a gardens where the meeting was to take place and the venue had been booked by certain churches.
The youths and women in support of the Governor staged dances at the venue. A section of youths allied to the area governor disrupted the meeting thus tents, chairs and public address system were removed from the venue.
After some time, members of the Mulmulwas movement accompanied by social justice centers under the banner of Kenya Tuitakayo arrived in town attracting a huge crowd.
Clad in red T-shirts and caps labeled Mulmulwas singing and chanting their slogan of People’s power, the supporters begun addressing residents along the road. However, they were attacked by a group of youths who were against them.
Business in the town came to a stand still after the leader of the movement with his supporters civil societies and human rights activities started addressing the crowd.
It forced members Mulmulwas to run for their lives and moved to Jacarada area near Makutano police stage and addressed the crowd.
Efforts by their opponents to scuttle the meeting were futile as the supporters of Mulmulwas mobilized themselves going round the whole town and staged the meeting.
At some time the meeting was disrupted by youths and women who threw stones at members of the movement but the meeting proceeded as planned.
It forced the security team to intervene and protect the Mulmulwas followers. Several people were injured in the scuffle.
According to the leader of the movement Mr. Dennis Ruto Kapchok, the movement aims checking on corruption and ensure justice and fairness is done in the County.
He said the group is a social movement, a people driven agenda focused on empowering the common man to take up leadership and responsibility, ensuring transparency and accountability in the County government service delivery.
Ruto said the movement will remove the Governor from office. “The Kenya we want can only be created by us, the people, through desire, action and self determination. The people, however, must be empowered with knowledge and reason before they can powerfully rise to the occasion,”he said.
Ruto accused governor Lonyangapuo for funding youths and women to disrupt his meeting which was legal. “It’s is bad for the Governor to misuse County funds to buy goons. Why use government vehicles to carry clubs and goons?”
He faulted the Governor for abusing him in public claiming that he is jobless. “He needs to create jobs for youths not abuse them,” he said.
Ruto reiterated that he went in court to stop setting up of Ortum Cement factory which he claimed residents were not involved in the deal. He further raised the issue of widespread corruption in the County, social injustice to business people, misuse of funds and dictatorship .
West Pokot Sub County Police commandant Mr. Julius Kyumbule said the meeting was legal and the movement had taken a permit from the police. When contacted, Governor John Lonyangapuo said that the group has the right to conduct their meeting.