ODM delegates accompanying party presidential candidate Jimmy Wanjigi during in his visit to Siaya county as part of his tour of Nyanza Kenya, were left stranded for lack of money.
A number of the ODM delegates who were drawn from various sub-counties were forced to spend the night in the streets of Siaya town after planners of the event failed to give them facilitation money.
“I don’t know how I will go back home because I don’t have adequate transport,” Lilian Okoth from Rarieda sub-county tld the people daily,
The lucky ones were able to find their own accommodation in Siaya County.
The delegates had accompanied Jimmy Wanjigi in his Nyanza regional tour and attended a number of his meetings.
However, not all the meetings were successful as one in Migori County was marred with violence.
Rowdy youths stormed the venue of Jimmy Wanjigi’s event, breaking chairs and dismantling tents. Police officers moved swiftly to contain the chaos by dispersing the rowdy youths with teargas canisters.
After his meeting was cancelled on Friday, September 17, Jimmy Wanjigi resolved to move across the county, holding roadside rallies.
This too did not work for the ODM presidential candidate whose motorcade was pelted with stones.
After his unsuccessful campaigns in Migori, Jimmy Wanjigi called out his opponents for planning the violence.
He vowed to remain unbowed, and continue with his tour of other regions in Raila Odinga’s backyard.
“I would not be cowed. We will be in Siaya county tomorrow (Saturday) and Kisumu on Sunday and later return to Migori. We will keep moving on. Democracy is for all of us and not for some of us,” Wanjigi said.
The misfortune that Jimmy Wanjigi encountered got the attention of the ODM party which condemned the violence directed at one of their members.
The party’s Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna promised to work with ODM officials from Migori to investigate the matter.
“We have learnt of unfortunate incidents of Violence in Migori involving Mr. Jimmy Wanjigi. The Party takes this early opportunity to condemn the incidents & urge for tolerance & accommodation of every political view. We urge Police in Migori to ensure culprits are brought to book,” read a statement by ODM.
