NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 19- A planned rally by the Deputy President William Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza team at the Jacaranda grounds over what police termed as security reasons.
Already, a contingent of police officers has been deployed to man the grounds, to ensure there are no political activities conducted there.
But a standoff looms after the Deputy President urged his supporters to proceed to the grounds for the rally.
“The Kenya Kwanza fraternity and the entire Hustler Nation wishes a blessed Sunday to all na tukutane Jacaranda after church,” he said in a post on his social media accounts.
This was shortly after 9 am after he learned dozens of armed police officers had sealed off the ground.
Shahidi News has established that the organisers of the rally had not managed to erect a stand when police moved in.
The rally had been publicized by among others the now controversial Nairobi gubernatorial candidate Johnson Sakaja who wanted to use it as a springboard for his bid to be the next boss of the city.
But police said they had received intelligence reports that goons had planned to raid the rally and cause harm to many hence the move to stop it.
Anti-riot police were deployed to the area at about 4 am and stopped anyone who tried to access it.
The grounds located in Embakasi East are always shrouded in controversy during such political events.
During a recent rally by the Deputy President, armed goons caused mayhem before police contained the situation.
The area MP, in a letter dated June 15 and seen by Shahidi News, has informed police that he has a ‘peace meeting’ on the same grounds.
It is also the same venue former Prime Minister Raila Odinga had intended to conduct his mock swearing in as the people’s president.
The venue was however inhabitable after unknown people dumped human waste in it.
“Let them come if they wish but they should know the meeting is not on for today. They can try tomorrow,” said a senior official.
It is not yet clear whether supporters of the Deputy President will try to make their way into the venue.
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