Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata and the National Police Service (NPS) have given conflicting accounts of how the governor’s driver was injured during violence that disrupted a Linda Mwananchi political event in Nyahururu on Sunday, July 12, 2026. Kang’ata said his driver, whom he identified as Gitari, was shot in the chest during the chaos and taken to hospital for treatment.

“My driver Gitari has been shot during Linda Mwananchi rally,” Kang’ata wrote on his X account shortly after the incident.

Speaking later about the violence, the governor maintained that his driver had been struck in the chest, although he said the exact nature of the projectile had not been established.

The National Police Service, however, disputed the shooting claim. According to the police account, a group of people attempted to disrupt the political gathering by throwing stones, leaving several people injured.

“In Nyahururu Town, a group of individuals attempted to disrupt a political rally by throwing stones, causing minor injuries to several members of the public, including one Joseph Gitau, who sustained a chest injury and was treated and discharged,” police said in a statement.

Police maintained that no shooting was reported during the Nyahururu violence.

The conflicting statements leave the exact cause of the driver’s injury unclear. Kang’ata has described the incident as a shooting, while police have acknowledged that a man suffered a chest injury but rejected reports that he was shot.

At the time of publication, no independent medical report had been made public to conclusively establish what caused the injury.

The confrontation occurred as leaders associated with the Linda Mwananchi movement held political engagements in Nyahururu and the wider Nyandarua area. Kang’ata was among leaders attending the activities alongside other figures associated with the movement. The group had attended a church service before continuing with its public engagements when violence broke out.

Reports from the scene indicated that the event was disrupted after groups confronted the delegation, triggering chaos and forcing those present to seek safety. Kang’ata later linked the Nyahururu incident to an earlier attack on the Linda Mwananchi team in Keumbu, Kisii County.

“Last week we were in Kisii, at a market called Keumbu; we were rained on with stones,” he said.

Police had earlier confirmed arrests over the Keumbu incident after videos showed a convoy being pelted with stones. The Kenya News Agency reported that three suspects were arrested as police continued investigations into the attack. The governor’s broader claims about those responsible for the Nyahururu violence, however, remain allegations unless established through investigations.

The National Police Service said arrests were made following separate incidents of political violence reported in Nyahururu and Kisumu. Police condemned what they described as political intolerance, violence and goonism, saying investigations were underway to identify and arrest those responsible.

Fourteen suspects were arrested in connection with the separate incidents, according to police and media reports. The Kisumu confrontation was more severe, with one person killed, several others injured, motorcycles set ablaze and a police vehicle damaged during violence involving rival groups.

The Nyahururu incident, meanwhile, has drawn particular attention because of the sharply different accounts surrounding the injury to Kang’ata’s driver. While the governor publicly described the injury as the result of a shooting, police have maintained that their preliminary account does not support that claim.

The incident comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 General Election and renewed concern over violence at political gatherings. The Nyahururu violence also occurred days before the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, scheduled for July 16, 2026, amid intensified political activity in the area.

Political competition does not remove the legal protections afforded to peaceful gatherings. Kenya’s Constitution guarantees the right to assemble, demonstrate and present petitions peacefully and unarmed, while police have a duty to maintain public order and investigate criminal acts.

The precise circumstances surrounding the injury to Kang’ata’s driver remain under dispute.

What is established is that violence disrupted the Linda Mwananchi engagement in Nyahururu and that people were injured. What remains contested is whether Kang’ata’s driver was shot, as the governor claims, or sustained his chest injury during the wider confrontation, as indicated in the police account.

Until medical evidence or the outcome of investigations provides an independent determination, the two accounts should be treated separately rather than either being presented as a confirmed version of events.