Wednesday, June 16, 2010

DENIED

Three Kenya legislators have been charged with incitement to violence, a day after they were arrested over hate speech.

Assistant Roads minister Wilfred Machage, Mount Elgon MP Fred Kapondi and his Cherangany counterpart Joshua Kutuny, however, denied the charges before Chief Magistrate Gilbert Mutembei.

Political activist Christine Nyagitha also denied the charges.

Afternoon ruling

The four were held at the High Court basement cells pending a ruling in the afternoon on whether they will be admitted bail.

Prosecutor Onesmus Towett requested the court to hold the politicians in custody for three days to allow police complete investigations, which was opposed by lawyers Katwa Kigen and Moses Cheboi representing the latter. Mr Cheboi is a former Kuresoi MP.

Mr Machage, the Kuria MP, faces four charges of incitement to violence while Mr Kapondi and Ms Nyagitha face one count each.

The charges relate to statements they made during the launch of the No secretariat on June 10.

Mr Kutuny, who was charged separately, is accused of distributing leaflets in Transzoia, Rift Valley province, that warned non-Pokots to leave the area if Kenyans ratify the proposed constitution in the referendum set for August 4.

He is accused of distributing the leaflets on varied dates in May.

Higher Education minister William Ruto and Belgut MP Charles Keter were present in court.

All the MPs who were charged are from the ‘No’ group opposed to the proposed constitution.

On Monday, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission said it had evidence of hate speech against Mr Ruto and the MPs.

It also listed MPs Julius Kones and Mohammed Sheikh Dor.

In Parliament, Prof George Saitoti issued a ministerial statement saying that investigations, of a broad nature, into Sunday's grenade attack during a No crusade in Nairobi's Uhuru Park, were ongoing.

He said the police probe will try to unravel the kind of explosives used, the people behind the deadly detonation and their motive.

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