- Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna was temporarily barred from addressing mourners at a police officer's burial in Trans Nzoia on Friday
- MP Jack Wamboka was roughed up and ejected by security officers during the burial of SAIG Lazarus Opicho in Maili Saba
- Police fired teargas as Sifuna and Governor Natembeya stormed Kitale town hours after President Ruto had addressed supporters there
Rival political camps supporting President William Ruto and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna clashed in Trans Nzoia County on Friday, October 17, in a tense sequence of events that moved from a police officer's burial to the streets of Kitale town.
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President Ruto toured Kitale for a development tour, officially opening government projects that Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya disputed, claiming the initiatives were funded by his county administration rather than the national government.
Standoff at Opicho's Burial in Maili Saba
Rather than attend the president's event, Natembeya, alongside Sifuna and other leaders affiliated with the Linda Mwananchi Movement, proceeded to the burial of Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police Lazarus Opicho at Maili Saba in the county.
The ceremony was presided over by senior National Police Service officials, including Deputy Inspector General Masengeli (Administration), Eliud Lagat of the Kenya Police Service, and government spokesperson Charles Owino.
The opposition-aligned delegation met resistance at the venue. Bumula MP Jack Wamboka was physically ejected by security officers before being allowed to return. Sifuna himself was initially prevented from addressing mourners, though Natembeya and MPs Wamboka and Majimbo Kalasinga of Kabuchai were permitted to speak. After sustained pressure from mourners demanding to hear from the senator, Sifuna was eventually allowed to take the podium.
Kitale Town Confrontation After Ruto's Departure
As Sifuna's team clashed with the police at the burial, Ruto was in Kitale town addressing supporters and criticising Natembeya's performance, particularly over what he described as failures in healthcare delivery across the county.
Sifuna's team departed the burial at around 5pm and moved deliberately towards Kitale at a measured pace, timing their entry to coincide with the president's exit. The two convoys crossed paths at Showground at approximately 6pm, with Ruto's motorcade leaving as Sifuna's arrived.
Once in town, the opposition leaders addressed the crowd, launching sharp criticism at both the president and the police over what they described as intimidation.
Natembeya used the platform to accuse Ruto of claiming credit for county-financed projects.
Police officers deployed teargas in an attempt to disperse the gathering, but the team braved the irritation.
Government Hits Back at Sifuna's Tactics
On Saturday, October 17, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen dismissed Sifuna's conduct, arguing the senator lacked the capacity to draw his own crowd independently.
"He was denied a chance to speak at a burial ceremony and he waited until 4pm to address mourners. He then went somewhere to hide and wait for you to address a rally. He waited until 7pm before he came after you had left. Is that someone who can compete with you?" Murkomen said.
Suna East MP Junet Mohamed backed Murkomen's assessment, accusing Sifuna of lacking a coherent political strategy. The Friday episode mirrored events earlier in the week, when Natembeya employed the same approach in Kimilili, arriving to address residents shortly after Ruto's convoy had departed.
Source: TUKO.co.ke