The by-election exercise going on in Ruguru Ward in Nyeri County was on Wednesday temporarily stopped after a female election observer was physically assaulted.

Trouble started when Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua visited one of the polling stations and found an unidentified woman reported to be a political campaigner, and who was also posing as an elections observer.

Gachagua then sought to understand from the IEBC official, why some campaigners were acting as election observers without the necessary badges.

At some point the standoff took a violent turn after an unidentified man slapped the woman at the centre of the controversy for "insulting the Mathira MP".

The video released on Wednesday evening also showed police officers taking custody of the assaulted woman, with the assistance of the man who had assaulted her.

The video can be video HERE , courtesy of Nation:

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