Mugirango South MP Silvanus Osoro has come out to defend himself against claims of being responsible for causing chaos at a function attended by Kisii governor Simba Arati recently.

While seeking to clear his name, Osoro claimed that Arati’s team is responsible for the incident as it provoked his supporters first, by looting his belongings. This happened at another function he was attending.

He went on to play the video clip on his phone, captured during the incident, justifying why his people stormed Arati’s meeting and how the fracas started.

“I was not there, I had remained behind to attend to the boy whom they had assaulted and left on the side of the roadside. Indeed I was accompanied by police when the incident happened. The police shot in the air to disperse the hostile youths that were fighting,” said Osoro while addressing his constituents on Sunday.

He added that, “It was Arati’s goons who attacked our driver and stole our microphones. My boys just walked into the venue to demand for the microphone when they were attacked by the Governor’s goons. So what did you expect us to do? Sit back and watch? Of course we had to defend ourselves.”

Following the incident, the MP, who serves as National Assembly’s majority whip as well, was blamed for using goons to disrupt Arati’s function on Monday January 8. The governor was issuing bursaries in Mugirango South.

In the incident, gunshots were fired and four people were left nursing injuries.

Arati later claimed an attempt was made at his life, saying he was targeted but God saved him.

The clash attracted condemnations from the Gusii community and the ODM party, with calls being made for Osoro to be arrested and charged

Cs Education Ezekiel Machogu and other leaders from the Gusii region have called for a meeting to square out the fallout, but Governor Arati has said he will not honor it.

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka is among the leaders who have called for a truce between the two, and has welcomed Cs Machogu’s call for talks.

MCAs aligned to Arati on the other hand have called for demonstrations in Bobasi sub-county from where Arati hails, demanding the arrest and arraignment of Osoro.