3 shot after Uhuru Kenyatta rally in Marsabit - VIDEO

3 shot as chaos rock president Kenyatta’s Marsabit visit

What you need to know:

  • Locals blamed Kenya Police Reservists for the shooting that occurred as police battled to stop clashes between supporters of Jubilee and Frontier Alliance parties.

  • More people sustained minor head and hand injuries as the supporters of gubernatorial candidates Ukur Yattani (Frontier Alliance) and Mohamud Ali (Jubilee) clashed.

Two people are fighting for their lives in hospital after they were shot in chaos that followed President Kenyatta's vote chase in Marsabit town on Wednesday.

The two and another one who was slightly injured were treated at Marsabit Referral Hospital.

HIP

The critically injured patients were shot in the head and lower hip.

Locals blamed Kenya Police Reservists for the shooting that occurred as police battled to arrest clashes between supporters of Jubilee and Frontier Alliance parties.

More people sustained minor head and hand injuries as the supporters of gubernatorial candidates Ukur Yattani (Frontier Alliance) and Mohamud Ali (Jubilee) clashed.

The rival groups attacked each other with rocks after a shouting and chanting match failed to produce a clear winner.

They first clashed in the morning as President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto were on their way to Marsabit from Moyale.

RIVALRY

In this case, police used tear gas canisters to restore order and it worked.

But the shooting occurred when the camps locked horns soon after Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto left Marsabit town for Samburu at around 4pm.

The chaos was the culmination of Yattani-Ali rivalry that also played out during the 2013 General Election.

Mr Yattani and Mr Ali come from two dominant tribes in the county— Gabbra and Boran— that want one of their own in the top county seat.

Clan and tribe play a major role in Marsabit politics, as in the rest of northern and eastern Kenya.

VOTES

The violence also had all the hallmarks of the rivalry that has been playing out in areas where politicians who lost in Jubilee Party primaries have chosen to support Mr Kenyatta's re-election bid.

Some winners of the ruling party's tickets are against it and want their rivals to keep off Jubilee events.

A similar case applies to the opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa).

However, the presidential candidates' appetite for votes has seen them prevail on their candidates to tolerate and accommodate their challengers.

This has worked in some cases but in others, it has failed flat on its face. With deadly consequences. Like in Marsabit.