Speaker under fire for attacking voter in Makueni election

Makueni County Speaker under fire for attacking voter in Makueni election
Updated Sunday, July 28th 2013 at 13:15 GMT +3

By Onesmus Nzioka

MAKUENI, KENYA: Makueni County is still reeling under a celebration galore over the election of a new senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior, last Friday.

While a greater section of the county residents are still in this joy, one resident, Mark Ngunu, a teacher, is nursing serious injuries he received when he was allegedly attacked by the county speaker when he went to vote.

Ngunu, who by press time was still admitted at The Makindu district hospital with injuries on his chest, legs and arms said the speaker descended on him with kicks and blows for supporting a different candidate from the speaker’s.

He said he ran into the speaker, Stephen Ngelu, at Nzayo polling station, Kibwezi East constituency where the two had gone to vote.

Ngelu is said to have confronted the teacher for supporting wiper candidate Mutula Kilonzo junior and beat him before calling his security men who also kicked and beat him mercilessly.

“I went to vote as expected of me around 11:00 am on Friday. I met our speaker who demanded to know why I was not supporting Prof.Phillip Kaloki, his choice of senator. When I told him off he beat me up before calling his guards who joined him in kicking and beating me,” said Ngunu.

Ngunu, a father of four, said he has openly differed with the speaker politically and the speaker had threatened to kill him when he refused to support his failed parliamentary bid in the March 4 general election.

Ngunu further claims the speaker told him he can take him no where, as the speaker is ‘money loaded’ and can fight any legal battle.

Ngelu has however denied assaulting the teacher, claiming that he (Ngunu) got himself injured while fleeing from a crowd that was baying for his blood when he was caught bribing voters inside the polling station.

“Do I look like someone who can assault another?” poses Ngelu.

“This man was trying to flee from a crowd that wanted to lynch him for engaging in an election malpractice. I got information that he jumped through a window and fell while fleeing from the crowd,” he added.

He termed claims that he attacked the teacher as propaganda by some people close to the county governor, Prof. Kivutha Kibwana, who have been trying to force him out of the speaker’s seat.

“I know some people are unhappy because I was elected on a URP ticket, but I tell them I will continue supporting the government,” he said.

Ngelu said he has more than 100 witnesses who can defend him in a court of law, and who are planning to stage demonstrations against the falsehood leveled on him.

Kenya National Union of Teachers officials MakueniCounty branch, who were angered by the speaker’s alleged misdemeanor condemned the occurrence, terming it political immaturity.

Makueni Knut Vice chair Christopher Kilonzo said the speaker should resign his position because he has demonstrated that he lacks integrity and capacity to hold that office.

“This occurrence is a clear manifestation that the speaker is not impartial. It shows that he lacks the integrity to continue holding that office and we demand his immediate resignation,” said Kilonzo who issued a statement on behalf of the teachers over the incident.

Kilonzo said the teachers will seek legal redress on behalf of their injured colleague, saying they feel intimidated and shamed following Friday’s incidence.