Five Arrested as Police Recover Machete, Sword at Raila Memorial
Five Arrested After Chaos Erupts at Raila Odinga Commemoration in Bondo
Its been a week since the first anniversary of former PM Raila Odinga’s death, but the event at Bondo in Siaya County is still making headlines – all thanks to a ruckus that broke out at the Migwena Cultural Grounds. To add to the drama, a machete, a sword and a knife were recovered from the scene after police swooped in and made 5 arrests.
The names of the suspects have been revealed by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) – they are Daniel Odhiambo, Gabriel Aloo, Felix Ochieng, Jerry Okello and Edwin Matongo. It all went down on Thursday when things got out of hand at the memorial service and the local police in Bondo were called in to bring things back under control.
According to the DCI, officers moved fast to stop the situation getting any worse, and to give them some credit, they managed to do just that.
DCI Names Five Suspects Arrested in Bondo
The DCI spilled the beans on Friday and revealed the names of the 5 blokes they arrested after the whole thing erupted at the Raila Odinga memorial.
They are : Daniel Odhiambo, Gabriel Aloo, Felix Ochieng, Jerry Okello and Edwin Matongo. The arrests were made after the Bondo Police stepped in to calm things down at the Migwena Cultural Grounds.
The 5 chaps are currently cooling their heels in the cells while the police go through the motions of booking them for court. Its worth noting that a single arrest does not a guilty verdict make, and the circumstances of the whole thing are still being investigated.
Police Recover Machete, Sword and Knife at Raila Memorial
You can bet your bottom dollar that the police are NOT happy with the discovery of all those arms at the Raila memorial. A machete, a sword and a knife are no toys, and they were confiscated by the DCI.
However, the agency has been tight lipped about the circumstances surrounding the arms, such as who they belonged to, and whether anyone got hurt in the chaos that ensued.
As for what exactly happened at the Migwena Cultural Grounds, the investigation is still on-going and the DCI has still not revealed any of the details yet.
What Happened at Migwena Cultural Grounds?
Its all pretty cut & dry : on Thursday, the memorial service for Raila Odinga in Bondo got violent. A section of the crowd lost it and mobbed the police who’d been called in the calm the situation down. The Bondo Police were quick to react though and they managed to restore order before things really went pear-shaped.
The DCI is still looking into what caused the confrontation and when they have more information, we’ll be sure to let you know.
DCI Issues Warning Over Public Gatherings
After making those arrests, the DCI is once again stressing its commitment to teaming up with other security bods to keep an eye on public gatherings and sort out any suspected trouble.
“We’re fully behind working with the other security agencies to keep the public safe and make sure that anyone we suspect of doing something dodgy is dealt with properly, by the book,” the agency said in a statement.
The warning is coming at a time when all the security agencies are stressing the importance of keeping things calm and orderly at public events.
And then there’s the ongoing investigation into what went down at Bondo, the five suspects are due to get hauled in front of a judge once the paperwork is sorted.
Raila Odinga Memorial Marks First Anniversary
It was just after a memorial event to mark a year since the passing of former PM Raila Odinga, whose long career in politics left a real mark on Kenya. He’d been around for years, and his influence can still be felt in Kenyan public life.
The memorial was meant to be a celebration of his life & legacy, but things took a weird turn, with a reported disturbance breaking out and a few people getting nicked. That’s led to security at public gatherings being brought up as an issue.
The authorities are still looking into what happened and it’s likely to keep being a topic of discussion.
ALSO READ : Chaos in Muhoroni as Residents Set 4 Lorries Ablaze After Fatal Crash
Five Arrested as Police Recover Machete, Sword at Raila Memorial
