Mwau's date with hooligans

Mwau's encounter

with Wiper hooligans

By Anchor Reporters

VIOLENCE is taking root in the poli­tics of Makueni County in a worrying trend.
Twice now, Makueni Par­lia­men­tary as­pirant Daniel Maanzo has been beaten up in skir­mishes that promise that there is no end in sight.

The latest victim of this violence is Kilome MP John Haron Mwau, who narrowlly es­caped death in Kasayani in Kibwezi Con­stituency.
The common denominator in the violence is the Wiper Democratic Movement Party. Youth associated with the party in Makueni are blamed for the Maanzo attack. Wiper party youth are accused of attacking Mwau in Kibwezi.
In the Mwau attack,the PICK party Boss had just arrived uninvited at Kasayani village in Kibwezi constituency in his chopper at a Wiper Party function only to receive a rude reception.
The chopper  landed at Kisayani secondary school and Mr Mwau and afew of his friends alighted and strode towards the function hosted by a Wiper party parliamentary as­pirant for Kibwezi West  Mr Mwengi Mutuse.
On reaching the the dias, Mr Mwau was confronted by three men who tried to push him away saying he was not invited at the meeting since he was from another party. Mutuse watched as Mr Mwau was driven out of the meeting by the incensed crowd chanting Wiper, Wiper.
His body guards got hold of him and spir­ited him to a nearby kiosk for refuge.
The moneyed Kilome MP and Aspirant for Makueni Senator’s seat was seen tossing currency notes which temporarilly send his assailants off him as they struggled to get hold of the cash.
The youth, undeterred, started ripping off the kiosk to eject him. He exited from the now open back of the kiosk and sprinted to his chopper as stones rained on him.Those who saw the incident say he left his shoe and his trademark spectacles on the ground as he secured his peace.
Mr Mutuse said the crowd insisted that they  never wanted Mwau’s presence since he was opposed to Kalonzo Musyoka.
As Mr Mwau reached the chopper the crowd was in hot pursuit, yelling that he chants  'Wiper, Wiper'.  As he flew off, the crowd still hurled stones at the chopper to un­der­line the level of agitation. It was hardly believable that the action was sponeneous as the Wiper leaders would want it to be seen.
Several people were hurt in the melee. Mr Mwau had just come from another function at nearby Kiboko area when he decided to attend the  Wiper party function to launch Mr Mutuse’s campaign . He had parted ways with Kibwezi MP Prof Kaloki who drove for over one hour to the Kasayani meeting, nt indicating that he was flying there too. By the time Kaloki arrived at Kasayani, Mwau had been long chased from the meeting.
Mr Mutuse regretted the incident but blamed it to Mr Mwau. Indeed, Mwau flew into trouble of his own making. He is known to use the helicopter to intrude into meetings that he is not in­vited, or use the chopper to mo­bi­lize impromptu meetings. Usually, the chopper circles mar­kets where he spots many resi­dents in a telling way and lands in the vicinity to address the residents whose cu­ri­osity has been aroused.One constant flier with the MP says Mwau, upon seeing the crowds below asks: "Ndambuki akaumya mbesa va sya kutethya Nja ithi imbeteelete?"( Where will Ndambuki get money from to help these paupers who are waiting for me? Ndambuki is one of his opponents in the race. The other is Eductaion Minister Mutula Kilonzo.
Usually, Mwau has had his way when he flies around the county as citizens are ex­cited by the overflying craft. At times, he allows the pilot to fly the villagers in turns to sample what indeed is a life time ex­pe­rience. But  that was not the case at Kasayani. The locals were not keen for a ride or the gifts that Mwau carries in his bottomless pockets.
Mutuse wondered why Mwau decided to in­trude into his meeting knowing that the situation may not favour him. ‘’He knows very well he’s supporting my political ri­val whose function he was coming from. And this is probably why Mwau was attacked, but Police say they are still investigating.
Mutuse however, distanced himself from the vio­lence saying his supporters were against Mr Mwau because he never supported Mr.Kalonzo Musyoka.
Contacted, Mwau condemned the incident saying it was primitive and senseless. He alleged he had hit a deal with Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka to support his presi­den­tial bid. “I went to the Wiper Party meeting as part of the pact with the VP to work with his party people in line with what he asked me to do and nothing else’’ he added.
Mr Mwau said he wondered why the people were incited against him yet he never pro­voked or abused any body but was just going to the meeting for a good course.
He said the nature of his attack by the vio­lent people demonstrated how  the Wiper Party leadership cannot be trusted. Few hours af­ter Mr Mwau left, an assistant minister for ag­ri­cul­ture Mr Gideon Ndambuki arrived at the meeting as he had been invited.
Former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile, con­demned the act saying it was in bad taste.
Contacted the VP’s  aide Kaplich Barsito confirmed that the two (Mwau) and Kalonzo met in his presence where Mr Kalonzo asked Mwau to support him in his presidential bid, which Mwau accepted.