Police in Murang’a on Sunday intercepted a campaign entourage of Governor Mwangi wa Iria and impounded several vehicles.
More than 20 vehicles were held at Kabati police station for the better part of the day in what police said was to prevent possible chaos.
The caravan, which was heading to parts of Kandara sub-county, was cut short by the officers who also arrested some of the governor’s campaigners.
Speaking when he arrived at the station to rescue his vehicles, Governor Wa Iria accused the area police boss of holding the vehicles without genuine reasons.
He said the area OCPD Gregory Mutiso did not show up to explain why the vehicles were seized and alleged that he was paid by one of his opponents to sabotage the campaigns.
In what was seen as a way to control clashes, Mutiso, who was contacted by KNA, indicated that the day was booked by Wa Iria’s opponent Jamleck Kamau to carry out his campaign along the same route.
He they could not allow the campaigns of the two politicians to be done on the same day and ‘it may lead to conflicts between their supporters’.
But Wa Iria read mischief and accused the police of being compromised by his opponent to frustrate his campaigns saying even after the vehicles were impounded he took others and proceeded with the exercise peacefully.
“Up to now, I have not been given clear reasons why my vehicles were withheld and the OCPD has gone missing. I would like to state that the expenses incurred will be met by the people behind the arrest,” indicated the governor.
He accused his opponent of using unorthodox means to block him from mobilising people to register as voters. “I will continue to pursue the matter till I get the reality on what happened to my vehicles, since we cannot sit and watch being frustrated by people who don’t want to be defeated,” he added.
In a rejoinder, Kamau, who was accused of being behind the arrest, refuted the claims saying police did what was needed to avoid clashes. He said he had informed police earlier that he would use the route and wondered why the governor opted to use the same roads on Sunday to carry out the voter mobilisation.