Three people are fighting for their lives in hospital after supporters of Embakasi West Member of Parliament Mark Mureithi Mwenje and his predecessor George Theuri clashed at a swimming pool in Umoja 1 area.
Two of the injured youth are presently receiving treatment at the Mama Lucy Hospital while the other is at the Metropolitan Hospital.
Addressing the press after recording a statement with the police, MP Mwenje alleged that the rival youth affiliated to Theuri reportedly stormed the swimming pool area where he was clearing structures in preparation for a bursary issuance exercise on Thursday.
“Tulikuwa pale Umoja 1 swimming pool together with my NG-CDF committee tukipanga vile tutapeana bursaries za university tomorrow, na tukipanga pia the new projects that we’ll be doing,” he said.
“Ikifika 2:30pm, tulitumiwa vijana wakakuja pale swimming pool, ambayo the former MP ndio anamanage…in fact all the staff that work there ni watu wake, mimi ata sijawaondoa…wakatuma vijana, na wakapata some of the works ambazo tunataka kufanya pale wakasimamisha, wakapiga mafundi ambao walikuwa pale…tukaretreat kwa public library.”
The legislator said the rowdy youth, armed with machetes and other crude weapons, attacked them, forcing them to retreat to the library area where they still followed and accosted them.
He further claimed that they then attempted to snatch the gun from his bodyguard but were unable to, before they allegedly whipped out their own and shot one of his supporters who was protecting him from harm.
“Walipoingia pale wakaanza kunigonga, my assigned security officer akajitokeza akajaribu kuwazuia, but they continued to attack na wakaendea bunduki yake…kwa hiyo harakati wakapiga kijana wetu mmoja risasi, ambaye sai ako hospitalini,” he said.
MP Mwenje went ahead to claim that his life is in danger, appealing to Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome to provide him with enough security and intensify probe into the incident.
On the other hand, former MP Theuri denied any involvement in the incident saying he was at work when the violence and chaos erupted.
He however claimed he had been informed that the clashes began when a group of youth started destroying structures that had been serving members of the public at the swimming pool area.
Theuri also condemned the shootings, which he blamed on private security, and not police officers attached to any police station in the constituency.
“I think kuna group fulani ilikuwa imekuja kutoanisha structures zimetengenezwa hapo kwa swimming pool, na for a while hizo structures zilikuwa meant kufungwa so hazikuwa zinaoperate. So kuna team ilikuwa inadestroy na kuweka hizo structures chini, so watu walipokuja hapo ndani ndio mambo ikatokea,” he said.
“One of the ladies mwenye hizo structures alikuwa anapiga nduru akilia, so vile watu waliingia huko ndani ndio hiyo reaction ikatokea. Whatever has happened, the area police are not responsible, so let’s not try to blame them, it’s an individual mwenye alikuwa na firearm, I’m yet to confirm ako based wapi.”
