The Linda Mwananchi movement has cancelled its planned political rally in Ol Kalou, Nyandarua County.
In a statement on Saturday, the movement claimed it had received intelligence of an alleged plot to incite violence and create grounds for postponing the constituency’s parliamentary by-election.
The movement accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the government of laying the groundwork for delaying the poll through what it described as orchestrated acts of violence.
According to the statement, Linda Mwananchi alleged that plain-clothes police officers and hired groups from Kiambu, Murang’a and Nakuru counties had been mobilised to target its campaign convoy during engagements in Ol Kalou.
“We are aware of elaborate plans by the Ruto administration to incite and execute acts of violence in Ol Kalou as the perfect pretext to postpone the by-election. Part of these plans include planned violent attacks on the Linda Mwananchi team during their engagements in Ol Kalou.
“Police squads without uniform and goons have been mobilized from parts of Kiambu, Muranga and Nakuru, and deployed to attack the Linda Mwananchi convoy along the trail during their tour of Ol Kalou,” the statement read in part.
The faction claimed the alleged attacks were intended to provoke its supporters into responding in self-defence, providing justification for authorities to declare a security emergency and postpone the by-election.
Linda Mwananchi announced that it had shelved its planned tour of Ol Kalou and would instead hold political engagements in neighbouring Nyahururu.
The movement said the decision was aimed at denying those allegedly behind the plan an opportunity to disrupt the electoral process.
“As we believe that holding the by-election without any delay and defeating the UDA kakistocracy is the overwhelming desire of the people of Ol Kalou and Kenyans at large, Linda Mwananchi will instead tour Nyahururu tomorrow and render the nefarious and sinister plans by IEBC and the Ruto kakistocracy impossible to achieve,” the movement stated.
Further, Linda Mwananchi urged residents to remain steadfast, quoting freedom fighter Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi’s famous words ‘It is better to die while standing than to live on your knees’.
