Clashes erupted between two rival political groups at a burial in Rapogi, Migori County on Saturday, resulting in injuries to two individuals.
The altercation occurred between groups aligned with Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko and Uriri Member of Parliament Mark Nyamita.
The clash escalated during the funeral, with both groups opposing each other.
Among those injured was a nine-year-old boy who was part of the congregation attending the funeral.
Police, alerted to the situation, swiftly arrived at the scene to restore order. Residents fled to safety as officers attempted to intervene. To disperse the crowd, police fired shots into the air, temporarily halting the burial ceremony as the opposing groups turned against the police.
Despite police intervention, the burial site became a battleground as the two groups continued to fight in the presence of law enforcement.
Governor Ayacko, speaking to the press, condemned the incident, describing it as regrettable. He accused legislator Mark Nyamita of instigating violence in the constituency.
“I want to condemn those shameless politicians who think that politics should be that of violence and that the police should be part of their local goons,” Ayacko asserted. “We cannot be intimidated by anybody; we are only intimidated by the fact that we have to be orderly people,” he added.
In response, Nyamita accused Governor Ayacko of orchestrating the fight by mobilizing his security team to incite violence against him. Nyamita claimed that the governor’s security team fired shots at him and at a police vehicle, alleging that the gunshots nearly injured a police officer.
