Police probe claims of MP’s assault of former councillor, businessman

By Edwin Cheserek

KENYA: Police in Eldoret are investigating an incident in which an MP is alleged to have assaulted a businessman and a former civic leader.

The MP from Uasin Gishu County is alleged to have first engaged in a physical confrontation with Matthew Chemweno following a political argument.

Eldoret West OCPD Ndung’u wa Ikonya said complaints had been lodged against the MP and his two bodyguards yesterday, adding that police were piecing together evidence surrounding the incident.

The police chief disclosed that another man, former nominated councillor, Johnstone Kasenge, has lodged an assault case against the MP. Ikonya said police had decided to merge the cases.

“We will be guided by the evidence gathered by the investigating officers on whether we will summon the MP for questioning or take him to court directly to answer to the assault charges,’’ said Ikonya.

Mr Chemweno alleged that the MP and his two bodyguards assaulted him after he expressed a contrary opinion over a news bulletin they had watched at a hotel in Eldoret.

Witnesses told The Standard that trouble started when the two engaged in a political argument before the MP attacked the businessman.

The MP is said to have been angered by the discussions on the on-going cases at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Deputy President William Ruto.

The discussions are said to have centred on whether or not the ICC suspects had a case to answer, with the MP insisting that Ruto was framed by individuals whose intention was to gain financially.

“He (MP) descended on him with kicks and blows. As the two fought, the MP’s bodyguards joined in the assault against the businessman instead of helping to end it,’’ said a witness.

The MP and his bodyguards are said to have dragged Chemweno outside the hotel and beaten him up before abandoning him along the Eldoret-Nakuru highway.

Medical examinations conducted on Chemweno at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital showed that he had sustained mouth, back and left wrist injuries inflicted by a blunt object.

Chemweno explained yesterday that the injuries were as a result of pistol butts the bodyguards used to assault him during the incident that occurred at the hotel within Eldoret’s Central Business District.

He claimed he was attacked because he insisted that victims of the post-election violence should get justice while the ICC suspects should defend themselves, which was contrary to the MP’s argument.

“It never occurred to me that the argument would generate into a physical confrontation between us.

“I thought I had the freedom to express myself without provocation by anybody regardless of their position in the society,’’ he said, adding that he is unable to go about his daily business because of the injuries he sustained.

Resisted arrest

Efforts to get the MP’s comments on the matter yesterday were fruitless as several calls and messages to his mobile phone went unanswered.

His close aides however told The Standard that the MP had suffered food poisoning and was getting medical treatment.

The Eldoret incidents happened barely two weeks after Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri was arraigned in court for allegedly assaulting a female traffic police officer along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway on August 15.

The MP denied assaulting Maria Mutheo when he appeared before Nakuru Resident Magistrate Rita Amwayi to answer to the charges.

He also denied resisting arrest.

The MP faces three other charges, including failure to observe traffic rules, failure to observe verbal instructions by the said officer and driving a defective motor vehicle.

The magistrate set bail at Sh100,000 with a surety of a similar amount or a cash bail of Sh50,000.

Hearing of the first three counts is scheduled for October 21.