Rutto, La­boso sup­port­ers clash in pub­lic

They en­gaged in shout­ing matches, which de­gen­er­ated into phys­i­cal fights

The Star (Kenya) - - Politics General - FELIX KIPKEMOI @fkye­gon

Ri­valry be­tween Bomet Gover­nor Isaac Rutto and Na­tional Assem­bly Deputy Speaker Joyce La­boso played out dur­ing a fu­neral at Silib­wet, Bomet Cen­tral, when their sup­port­ers clashed on Thurs­day.

La­boso has an­nounced she will for Bomet gover­nor on the Ju­bilee ticket. Rutto says he will de­fend his seat on his newly formed Chama Cha Mashinani party ticket.

Their sup­port­ers en­gaged each other in shout­ing matches, which de­gen­er­ated into phys­i­cal fights as lead­ers ad­dressed mourn­ers. Ef­forts by po­lice to calm down the two groups failed.

The cer­e­mony had to be tem­po­rar­ily stopped as youth heck­led lead­ers. Present were Kanu sec­re­tary gen­eral Nick Salat, area MP Ron­ald Tonui, Jo­hanna Ng’eno (Emu­rua Dikirr), Bomet woman rep­re­sen­ta­tive Ce­cilia Ngetich, Bomet speaker Ge­of­frey Kip­ngetich, his El­geyo Marak­wet coun­ter­part Al­bert Kochei, former MPs Beatrice Kones and Raphael Ki­tur and MCAs from Bomet, Nakuru and El­geyo Marak­wet.

When speeches re­sumed af­ter the burial, lead­ers called for re­spect, ir­re­spec­tive of their po­lit­i­cal par­ties. La­boso ac­cused some lead­ers of hir­ing goons to dis­rupt func­tions.

/FELIX KIPKEMOI

Kanu sec­re­tary gen­eral Nick Salat and Bomet Gover­nor Isaac Rutto dur­ing the burial of former po­lice of­fi­cer Leonard Kirui at Silib­wet, Bomet Cen­tral, on Thurs­day

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