Martha Karua’s Rally at Gusii Stadium Ends Abruptly After Teargas Explosion

An Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition campaign rally at Gusii Stadium in Kisii ended abruptly on Thursday after a teargas canister was thrown to the VIP dais by an unknown individual.

The canister was discharged and exploded shortly before the coalition’s presidential running mate Martha Karua began addressing hundreds of supporters who had gathered in the arena.

Karua, who was in Kisii County to drum up support for the Azimio coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga, was swiftly evacuated from the podium by uniformed and ununiformed officers before being escorted out of the grounds to safety.

Nation reported that there was tension ahead of Karua’s rallies due to political differences between outgoing Kisii governor James Ongwae and some aspirants.

In a statement, the National Police Service (NPS) said investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident are underway.

“The NPS wishes to reassure the public that firm and decisive action shall be taken on anyone found to have been responsible for the act leading to the discharge of the teargas,” NPS spokesperson Bruno Shioso stated.