Deadly Chaos at Kindiki's Embu Rally Leaves Two Dead, Vehicles Torched

What was supposed to be a routine UDA grassroots mobilisation event in Embu town descended into deadly chaos on Saturday when rival political factions clashed inside and outside the venue where Deputy President Kithure Kindiki was addressing supporters.

Eyewitnesses described the scene as terrifying — groups armed with stones and crude weapons confronted each other while police scrambled to restore order, firing teargas canisters that sent crowds scattering into nearby shops and residential estates. Two vehicles were set ablaze in the commotion, their charred frames visible the following morning.

Two people are feared dead, with several others treated at Embu Level 5 Hospital for injuries ranging from teargas exposure to blunt force trauma. The DCI has since arrested two suspects and launched a formal probe.

Kindiki, visibly shaken but composed, addressed the nation afterwards and issued a stern directive to all political leaders: "Political differences must never become a licence for lawlessness. No grievance, disagreement or political affiliation places anyone above the law."

The finger-pointing started almost immediately. Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has declared Kindiki a political rival in Mt Kenya succession politics, linked the violence directly to Kindiki's ambition. "I have told him several times — you cannot divide the mountain. This is an exercise in futility," Gachagua said from his Karen home.

Manyatta MP Mukunji, whose constituency covers parts of Embu, found himself in the eye of the storm. Kindiki publicly accused him of involvement in instigating the violence. Police subsequently surrounded the MP's home, an action that triggered its own controversy — a regional police commander later insisted officers were "on routine patrol."

Interior PS Raymond Omollo weighed in with blunt advice: "If you do not support a politician, stay away from their meeting." The statement drew sharp condemnation from civil society groups who said it placed the burden of safety on victims rather than perpetrators.

The Embu violence has put a spotlight on the intensifying battle for control of the Mt Kenya political bloc ahead of 2027, a contest that analysts say is now more open and more volatile than at any time since 2013.