Rasanga vows to return to Yala ‘for prayers’ after attack by irate youths

Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga has vowed to hold another rally on Sunday at the venue where rowdy youths disrupted his rally two days ago.

Mr Rasanga was forced to flee for dear life after the youths stormed the meeting in Yala Town on Wednesday, accusing him of disparaging Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, who has been criticising his development record.

Yesterday, Mr Rasanga blamed succession politics in the county for the violence at his meeting.

An adamant Mr Rasanga said he would return to Yala on Sunday for a church service, saying the youths were hired by politicians who are jittery over his popularity.

“Let them come again on Sunday when I go to pray there. And let them come knowing the county is bigger than any one person. People who are afraid of the 2017 general elections are sponsoring hooligans to disrupt my meeting,” he said.

Mr Midiwo is widely believed to be eying the governor’s seat in 2017. Yala township is in Mr Midiwo’s Gem constituency.

During the Wednesday evening fracas, police shot in the air several times after youths threw stones and chairs at Mr Rasanga.

Chanting anti-Rasanga songs and slogans, the youths accused the governor of disrespecting Mr Midiwo and that he had no place in Yala, which is in Gem constituency.

Mr Rasanga, who has been involved in a war of words with Mr Midiwo, cut short his speech and was whisked away in his vehicle by his bodyguards.

But speaking in his office yesterday, the governor said the success of devolution in the county was making some leaders uncomfortable.

He demanded an investigation and the arrest and prosecution of those behind the chaos.

But yesterday, Mr Midiwo distanced himself from the Wednesday violence, saying Governor Rasanga was to blame for creating the tension that led to this incident.

“Rasanga must accept that as a public figure he will be criticised for his incompetence , corruption and arrogance. If he cannot withstand the heat in the kitchen, he must get out,” Mr Midiwo said in a statement.

He, however, called the violence unfortunate. “I disagree with the actions (of a) few youths who ejected Rasanga from the meeting,” he said .

Mr Rasanga and Mr Midiwo have been involved in a war of words over the management of the county.

Mr Midiwo has repeatedly accused the governor of misusing public funds, a claim Mr Rasanga has denied.

The governor said he went to the sub-county to inspect projects.

“I went to Gem constituency to inspect a primary school whose roof was blown off by a storm and later decided to address another meeting at Yala township, where farmers complained that a slaughterhouse that was being built by the county had stalled,” he said.

Mr Rasanga said the Constitution defines the roles of governors, MPs and MCAs.

“We want police to investigate the MCA whose driver hurled a seat at my dias. It was the MCA who shot in the air resulting in the mayhem,” he said.

On corruption and procurement, Mr Rasanga said his office was open and called all MPs to engage him on the county’s development.

“If anybody has issues with me, let them come to my office so that we compare notes.

“If they don’t come, we will parade them as the people distracting us from achieving the benefits of devolution,” he said.

Yesterday, a group of youths from Gem Central Ward held a peaceful demonstration around the constituency offices in support of the governor. Mr Fred Ouda, the Gem Central MCA, said they would not tolerate such fights, which he said are the reason for their poverty.

He told Mr Midiwo that his time was up and that residents would not tolerate his leadership any longer.

“Let him hire goons at his own risk. We will meet him head-on,” Mr Ouda said and asked police to up their game in providing security at public functions.