MERU, Kenya – Former Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza has alleged that armed individuals disrupted her gathering in Ituine, Igembe Central, accusing police officers of protecting the attackers and targeting her camp.
Mwangaza shared footage of the incident on social media on Sunday, October 18, claiming that the confrontation unfolded while officers were present at the scene.
“Government-sponsored goons have attacked Ituine under the supervision of police,” she alleged.
The footage appeared to show police officers and armed men facing another group across a road as tensions escalated. More people subsequently gathered near the scene, apparently drawn by the commotion.
Mwangaza accused the officers of shielding the alleged attackers and helping them target her supporters.
However, the identities of the individuals involved and the circumstances surrounding the reported disruption could not be independently established from the footage shared online.
It was also unclear whether anyone was injured or arrested during the confrontation. No independent account of the incident was provided in the available information.
Kawira’s Okolea Programme Faces Repeated Disruptions
The gathering was linked to Mwangaza’s Okolea Programme, also known as Operation Okolea Kaana Ka Miiru, a grassroots charity initiative that has evolved into a community outreach and political mobilisation platform.
The former governor’s meetings have previously been the subject of reports of disruption and alleged intimidation by unidentified individuals.
On May 18, 2025, Mwangaza and her driver were hospitalised after police allegedly lobbed a tear gas canister into her vehicle while dispersing an Okair charity and prayer gathering in Igembe East and Tigania East.
In another incident, youths publicly apologised to Mwangaza on March 20, claiming they had been paid and politically influenced to disrupt an earlier Okolea Programme event in Antubochiu Ward. The youths alleged that items intended for donation, including a cow, had been targeted.
Her gatherings also faced reported disruptions and alleged intimidation on successive Sundays in May.
On August 29, anti-Mwangaza protests at Meru Primary School turned chaotic after police deployed tear gas, leaving five pupils injured, according to the account of the incident.
Political Tensions Surround Former Governor
The latest alleged disruption adds to the challenges surrounding Mwangaza’s grassroots activities in Meru, where her charity initiatives have also served as platforms for community engagement.
Her allegations against the police raise questions about the circumstances of the Ituine confrontation. However, the claims that the attackers were government-sponsored and that officers supervised the alleged attack remain unverified.
Further details on the incident, including the identities of those involved, possible injuries and any police action, were not immediately available.
