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Deputy President William Ruto on Thursday tore into the Interior Coordination Ministry over what he termed as misuse of police officers and the provincial administration to undermine his political campaign.
Ruto spoke in Kisii town, which incidentally is in the backyard of Interior CS Fred Matiang'i.
The DP avoided a direct mention of Matiang'i but hit out at individuals he claimed were misusing the police and chiefs to do politics.
"I only want everyone to do their work. But there are people who have been misusing them by giving them orders to go disrupt certain meetings. Hiyo ni upumbavu (that is stupidity). Respect the Police Service, Chiefs and the Provincial administration should stop taking sides in police."
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"If you want to contest for a political seat, leave alone the police and the provincial administration and come face me on the ground. They have also been giving money to young me to disrupt meetings, we are telling them shame on you. We don't have any more fools in Kisii," Ruto said.
The DP's visit had on Thursday morning drawn protests from a group of youths who held demonstrations castigating Ruto.
The group was armed with crude weapons, lit tyres along roads within Kisii town, as they chanted anti-Ruto slogans.
Armed police responded to the scene with tear gas in efforts to disperse the protesters.