How Moses Kuria ‘cried out’ for help as charged crowd bayed for his blood
Gatundu South lawmaker Moses Kuria feared for his life when he was attacked by a mob at a public rally in Kitui on Sunday, Nairobi News has established.
This is according to Billy Arocho, who is a member of the Jubilee Party security detail.
Kuria was roughed up at the charged Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) rally and it took the invention of the burly Arocho for Kuria to escape the wrath of his angry assailants.
ROUGHED UP
Arocho was captured on camera shielding the lawmaker from blows and kicks and later on leading him to safety.
“I had to rescue him, I found him seated on the ground after being manhandled by the crowd. He told me ‘Bill please don’t leave me here, these people will kill me’,” Arocho told Nairobi News in an exclusive interview.
According to Arocho, trouble started when Kuria arrived late for the event.
“He came in late, together with (Kipchumba) Murkomen and (Aaron) Cheruiyot. The dais was packed and his colleagues were ushered in and he seemed to get into a confrontation with the security detail before he was thrown out,” Arocho narrated.
UHURU’S THANK YOU
“I also warned him (Kuria) against abusing the President Kenyatta. I advised him to find diplomatic ways of solving any problem he might have with the Head of State,” the Jubilee operative said.
Arocho claims that President Uhuru Kenyatta later called him to thank him for his actions.
“President Kenyatta is my friend. He called me and thanked me for saving Kuria from the crowd. The president says he is not happy with Kuria abusing him in public but we need to behave in a mature manner and not let him be attacked,” Arocho said.
In a Facebook post, Kuria has hit back at those who attacked him, saying the ‘goons’ are well known to him as they have met in the past while watching Kenyan Premier League side Gor Mahia matches.
The incident further highlights the differences between politicians allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga, on one side, versus Deputy President William Ruto.