A search for those behind violent scenes at a youth meeting in Nakuru County has intensified after the National Police Service (NPS) identified Kuresoi North MP Alfred Mutai as the main suspect in the incident that left three people with gunshot injuries.
According to a statement issued by NPS on Friday evening, police have launched a manhunt for the legislator, alleging that he is on the run following the violence that broke out during a Youth Empowerment Meeting held at Sirikwa Umoja Grounds in Kuresoi Sub-County.
The event had attracted several political leaders before it descended into chaos.
Police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said investigators are pursuing Mutai along with other individuals believed to have played a role in the disturbance.
The service also called on the MP to voluntarily present himself at the nearest police station to assist detectives in establishing the circumstances surrounding the reported shooting.
The incident comes at a time when concerns over political violence have been growing. Earlier on Friday, President William Ruto, while attending a burial ceremony in Nandi County, directed Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and security agencies to take firm action against criminal gangs and violence linked to political activities.
Preliminary investigations by police suggest that the confrontation involved suspected goons allied to the MP and supporters of Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika.
The clashes reportedly escalated into running battles, disrupting the meeting and forcing it to end before the planned programme was completed.
Mutai has denied any involvement in the violence. He maintained that he only learned of claims linking him to the incident through social media and insisted he did not witness what had happened.
“I did not witness all that is in the media. Up to now, I do not know what happened,” the MP said.
Videos and photos shared online showed crowds fleeing the venue as rival groups clashed, creating scenes of panic and confusion.
During the unrest, police confirmed that a bus with registration number KDQ 155G, which had transported tents and chairs to the venue, was set on fire by unknown individuals.
Earlier reports had also indicated that a vehicle associated with the MP was vandalised, while competing political camps blamed each other for the violence, gunfire, and destruction of property witnessed during the disrupted Youth and Women Empowerment Programme in Nyota Ward.
