Members of the Kirinyaga County Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Irrigation were forced to cut short their fact-finding tour at the Mwea Irrigation Scheme after youths stormed their meeting.
The team had visited the expansive rice irrigation scheme on a fact-finding mission after a group of farmers petitioned the committee in an ongoing water distribution row.
The MCAs had to flee for their safety and boarded the Assembly’s van to escape the wrath of the youth.
One person was injured during the fracas and was taken to a local private hospital where he was treated and discharged.
Led by committee chairman John Kanga, the MCAs had to call off the tour with armed police officers being called to contain the situation.
The rowdy youths jeered and heckled the socked MCAs and ordered them to leave the area immediately or be violently ejected from the scheme.
They accused the MCAs of creating chaos and disruption in the scheme after being allegedly compromised by individuals fighting the current water users association leadership.
Confirming the incident, Nyangati MCA Sammy Maina said that they were attacked by a group of hirelings who disrupted their tour.
“Yes, it’s true we were attacked by a group of rowdy youths hired to disrupt our meeting over the ongoing standoff with the county executive,” he said.
mission, we are not going to be intimidated while carrying our duties”.
The MCA accused Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru of hireling the youths to discredit them.
However, Governor Waiguru’s communication team said that the Executive was not aware of the meeting, urging the MCAs to stop dragging her name through the mud.
“Tell them to stop dragging the governor’s name in all their problems. Let them fight their wars without using the governor’s name,” said the Kirinyaga Directorate of Communication.
