Mass protests rock Bomet after Governor Ruto attack

Dennis Tarus

November 10, 2016 1:54 PM

The residents protested across five sub-counties including Chepalungu, Konoin and Sotik blaming the police for use of excessive force at a public event

Residents of Bomet paralysed business across major town centres following Governor Isaac Ruto’s alleged attack by police on Sunday that left him nursing injuries to his face.

The residents protested across five sub-counties including Chepalungu, Konoin and Sotik blaming the police for use of excessive force at a public event.

The residents have now demanded for the immediate removal of County Commissioner Bernard Leparmarai who they blamed for the incident that occurred at Silbwet Stadium.

The protesters carrying placards blamed the security officers who they said failed in their duty of protecting the public.

The governor had alleged that administration police officers lobbed a teargas canister at him while dispersing a crowd after a confrontation between his supporters and the police at the stadium.

"False claims"

However County Commissioner Leparmarai said that the claims were false and that if a teargas had actually hit him, he would have sustained far worse injuries than what he had suffered from.

He said Ruto was free to report the matter to any authority including the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (IPOA) if he had evidence that the police assaulted him.

Leparmai said that the police were at the stadium to maintain law and order after they had received information that the governor had organised hooligans to disrupt the public event.

Ruto was airlifted to Nairobi after the incident and has since been visited by various leaders at his Nairobi hospital bed led by Cord leader Raila Odinga who have condemned the incident and pointed accusing fingers at the government.

Dennis Tarus