South Mugirango MP and National Assembly Chief Whip Silvanus Osoro on Sunday held a meeting with a section of his constituents, where he revealed circumstances leading to the clash with Governor Simba Arati.
Defending himself against criticism over the fracas that erupted when he together with his team they stormed a function presided over by Arati, Osoro said his team was provoked by the governor’s side, prompting them to storm the meeting.
Arati was in South Mugirango issuing bursaries when trouble erupted. A group of youth, accompanied by police stormed the meeting as Arati was giving a speech, leading to a fracas that saw gunshots fired and residents forced to flee for safety.
At least four people sustained gunshot wounds. Arati later claimed an attempt was made at his life, saying he was targeted but God saved him.
The clash attracted massive condemnation from the Gusii community and the ODM party where Arati is a leader, with calls being made for Osoro to be arrested and charged.
Education CS Ezekiel Machogu and other leaders from the region have called for a consultative meeting to iron out the fallout, but Governor Arati has said he will not honour it.
While at it, Osoro now says Governor Arati and his team provoked his side, leading to the fracas.
In a video shared on social media, Osoro is seen addressing tens of his constituents in a hall, where he said he was at another function in the area when Arati’s men vandalised his car and stole public address equipment, including microphones, and injured a driver of one of his vehicles.
It was this incident that triggered his team, who then without hesitation matched to where Arati was and a fracas ensued.
“I was not there. I had remained behind to attend to the boy whom they had assaulted and left on the roadside. Indeed I was accompanied by police when the incident happened. No one was shot as they allege, the police fired in the air to disperse the hostile groups that were fighting,” Osoro narrated.
“It was Arati’s goons who attacked our driver and stole our microphones. My boys just walked into the venue to demand for the microphone when they were attacked by the Governor’s goons. So what did you expect us to do? Sit back and watch? Of course we had to defend ourselves,” Osoro added.
He went on to play a video clip on his phone captured during the incident, justifying why his people stormed Arati’s meeting and how the fracas started.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka is among leaders who have called for a truce between the two, and has welcomed CS Machogu’s call for talks.
In the meantime, MCAs allied to Arati have called for demonstrations in Bobasi sub-county from whence Arati hails, to demanding the arrest and arraignment of Osoro.
The MCAs referenced the incident where Mumias East MP Peter Salasya was arrested for slapping an MCA, saying the same should happen to Osoro.
