Tuesday, June 15, 2010

KAPONDI AND MACHAGE ARRESTED

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 15 - Mt Elgon legislator Fred Kapondi and his Kuria counterpart Dr Wilfred Machage were arrested on Tuesday over incitement remarks they allegedly made last week while campaigning against the proposed Constitution.

The two legislators were wanted for the statements they made in Nairobi, which officials of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission said bordered on incitement.

They were picked up from town and escorted to the CID headquarters where they were still recording statements on Tuesday morning.

“They are here with us, they are going to record statements before any further action is taken,” a senior officer at the CID headquarters told Capital News.

“We are interested to know the interpretation of their statements,” he added.

Deputy Police Spokesman Charles Wahong’o had earlier told Capital News they were considering summoning the legislators through the press.

“We will be addressing a press conference later this [Tuesday] morning to give you an update of various issues and the incitement cases and also summon more legislators,” he said.

Mr Wahongo said Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere had ordered for an investigation over the alleged inciting remarks by the two legislators and any other leader accused of inciting Kenyans.

The two are reported to have threatened mass evictions and religious wars incase the proposed Constitution sails through.

Another senior police officer said they delayed summoning the MP’s because they had not obtained recordings of their statements which they made at the launch of the “No” secretariat in Nairobi in the course of last week.

“It is a serious issue because we all know the consequences [of such remarks], there is a likelihood they will be prosecuted,” another senior officer said of the Kuria and Mt Elgon legislators.

President Mwai Kibaki recently ordered the police and commissioners of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission to take action against any leader found to be inciting Kenyans, regardless of his or her status.

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