Politician evades police in consulate office

By Philip Mwakio

A politician from the Coast yesterday took refuge inside the Yemeni consulate’s office to escape police seeking to interrogate him.

Democratic Party of Kenya National Deputy Chairman Rishad Amana was being sought by police after residents of Lamu Island claimed he was behind irregularities surrounding many cases of sale of land in the area.

Amana had joined Lamu leaders in a meeting to discuss land issues at the offices of the Yemeni Consul to Kenya, Mr AbdulKaim Shigoggy along Mombasa’s Industrial Area near the port of Mombasa when police arrived.

He dashed into the consulate upon seeing a horde of photo journalists approaching.

"He is alleged to have colluded with corrupt officers at the Ministry of Lands in Nairobi to illegally transfer land documents to unsuspecting buyers," claimed Lamu East legislator Fahim Twaha.

Ali Athumani Ali, a spokesman for landowners from Ras Kitau area of Shella, said they found out that their parcels of land lying next to the beach had been transferred to some people following a search at the Lands office.

But Amana denied claims that he had grabbed any parcel of land.

"Fahim is my political rival. He is trying to get back at me after I successfully petitioned the Lands Minister to act against his encroachment on sand dunes, which serve as a water catchment area in Lamu island," Amana told The Standard.

Court order

Fahim, however, got a court reprieve when a High Court sitting in Malindi overruled a decision by Lands Minister James Orengo to cancel land allocations in Lamu.

Amana said he only went to the Yemeni consulate’s offices after he was told there was a meeting of Lamu leaders on land issues.

"We had finished the meeting and I was preparing to leave when police officers arrived in the company of journalists and attempted to get at me," he said.