Political thuggery reared its ugly head during President William Ruto's tour of Narok County on Wednesday, with at least six people sustaining arrow wounds and several others injured in clashes between supporters of Emurua Dikirr MP David Keter and his political rival Bernard Ng'eno.
The ugly spectacle unfolded at Mamboleo trading centre ahead of a presidential function, prompting Dr Ruto to publicly rebuke the two politicians and demand an end to their rivalry.
Supporters of Mr Keter and Mr Ng'eno engaged in running battles, with crude weapons and arrows used in the confrontation. At least six people suffered arrow injuries, while another was stabbed with a sword.
The two politicians have since traded accusations over the violence, with neither accepting responsibility, deepening political tensions in the constituency.
Mr Ng'eno, a youthful politician and former personal assistant to the late Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng'eno, is a political rival of Mr Keter, a businessman and politician who won the May 14 by-election to succeed the late MP.
Emurua Dikirr MP David Kipsang Keter.
Photo credit: Vitalis Kimutai | Nation Media Group
A senior police officer in Narok, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed the injuries.
"In the unfortunate incident, at least six people were injured as supporters believed to be of the two politicians fought before the President arrived at Mamboleo trading centre in Emurua Dikirr constituency," the officer said.
Four victims had arrows removed from their bodies, while at least one was scheduled for surgery, the officer said.
Most of the injured were taken to St Clare's Kaplong Hospital in neighbouring Bomet County, while one was referred to South Rift Hospital in Kericho for specialised treatment.
One victim had an arrow lodged in the angle of the jaw and was expected to undergo surgery on Thursday. Two others had arrows lodged in their legs, another in the hand, while an arrow pierced one victim's forehead, narrowly missing the eye. Another suffered an arrow wound to the shoulder.
Ruto's unusually strong response
The violence prompted an unusually strong response from President Ruto, who repeatedly admonished the two politicians during his tour and told them to end their rivalry.
"The kind of political differences that led to violence, injuries and shedding of blood should never be allowed. The violence between supporters of two rival camps should immediately come to an end. Let there be a ceasefire," Dr Ruto said.
Supporters of Mr Ng'eno waved blue headscarves at the President's meetings, while those backing Mr Keter displayed UDA's yellow colours, offering a public demonstration of the deep divisions that have taken root in the constituency.
The President urged Mr Keter, as the area MP, to take responsibility for uniting residents and healing the divisions that emerged during the by-election.
"As Member of Parliament, I want you to bring the people together, unite them, and if you have a challenge with that, I am willing to help you achieve it. We cannot allow this kind of deep-rooted differences to continue," Dr Ruto said at Emurua Dikirr trading centre.
He repeated the message at several stops, including Mamboleo trading centre, Emurua Dikirr Kenya Medical Training College, and Maasai Mara University, where he launched the construction of a campus, and during the launch of the Mogondo-Cheramgoi road.
"Why should someone arm himself to fight a brother over political differences and shed blood? It is uncalled for, irresponsible and these nonsense should come to an end," Dr Ruto said.
He urged leaders to put their differences aside after elections, unite residents and focus on development.
"Leaders should learn to bring their political differences to an end after every election, unite the people and root for development. It is the responsibility of the MP (Keter) to bring the people together and chart the way forward on development," he said.
"I am happy that Mr Ng'eno (Bulu) did not defect to another party after being handed a defeat in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party nominations by Mr Keter. He chose to stick with us so we could move forward together," the President said.
He urged those who supported Mr Ng'eno in the nominations to accept Mr Keter as their MP and rally behind him for the remainder of his term.
In the UDA primaries held on March 27, Mr Keter garnered 13,749 votes against Mr Ng'eno's 13,394. In the May 14 by-election, Mr Keter secured 18,266 votes against Democratic Citizens Party candidate Vincent Rotich's 10,760 votes.
The violence in Emurua Dikirr comes against a backdrop of growing concern over the use of gangs to disrupt political meetings and attack opponents as the country heads towards the 2027 General Election.
Although Emurua Dikirr has a history of political tensions and clashes, Wednesday's violence was unusual because it occurred in connection with a presidential tour.
The incident has also renewed questions about the government's repeated promises to crack down on political gangs.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja have repeatedly promised action against individuals behind political violence and those allegedly sponsoring them.
Mr Murkomen recently warned politicians against recruiting young people to cause chaos, saying the violence could eventually turn against those sponsoring it.
