Speaker files petition to stop auction of Peter Salasya's car

MP Peter Salasya poses next to his Land Cruiser Sports Utility Vehicle. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

The National Assembly has moved to halt the auction of a golden Land Cruiser Sports Utility Vehicle jointly owned by Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya.

In a petition submitted Thursday afternoon at the Kakamega Small Claims Court, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula expressed concern over a court decree permitting the auction of the vehicle due to a Sh500,000 debt owed by the MP, to which the Assembly is not a party.

He explained through lawyer Andrew Emacar that the first-time MP had obtained a loan from his employer using the vehicle logbook as collateral. Until the loan balance was cleared, the vehicle remained jointly owned.

"Given the National Assembly's interest in the proclaimed vehicle registration number KDK 037L, it is evident that the Assembly stands to suffer prejudice in the event that the proclaimed vehicle is sold in satisfaction to the decree," said Serah Kioko, the Deputy Clerk of the Assembly, in an affidavit written on behalf of the Speaker.

"Peter Salasya was advanced a loan of Sh4.2 million, of which Sh2,789,317 is outstanding. He is yet to pay the full amount and is therefore a mere bailee. It is in the interest of justice the claimant (Robert Lutta) be prevented from proceeding with the sale of the vehicle and the attachment of the same be lifted forthwith and the vehicle released to the National Assembly."

The Kakamega court seized Salasya's car after businessman Lutta initiated the process to enforce a judgment from November last year. The court had ordered the MP to pay Lutta Sh500,000 plus interest.

The judgment found that Salasya had borrowed the sum from the businessman on December 13, 2022, and had refused to repay it, thus accruing interest.