Thursday
April 19, 2012
April 19, 2012
Politics and policy
Imenti central Member of Parliament Gitobu Imanyara. File
Internal Security Minister Orwa Ojode has asked the Commissioner of Police to assure Kenyans and their leaders of their security ahead of the General Election.
This follows allegations by Imenti Central Member of Parliament Gitobu Imanyara, who on Wednesday stunned Parliament when he narrated how he was accosted and threatened with death by three men along State House road in Nairobi.
Mr Ojode directed the Police boss Mathew Iteere to move with speed to investigate the MP's claim that he was attacked on Tuesday night along Crescent Road near State House.
Imanyara claimed the men flagged him down, forced him out of his car and ordered him to kneel facing Mount Kenya and proclaim that “ Uhuru tuko pamoja.” (Uhuru we are together).
The slogan is the rallying cry of supporters of Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, who has indicated his intention to succeed President Kibaki as Kenya's fourth president.
Mr Imanyara said the men forced him to pledge support for the presidential aspirant at gunpoint, adding that the incident took place between 11.30pm and midnight.
The MP told the House that his abductors warned him of attending the Limuru 2B meeting which police cancelled or daring to accompany Prime Minister Raila Odinga to Meru “since they will chop off my head and deliver it to my wife and two sons.”
“I was warned against attending the Limuru 2B meeting and a public meeting in Meru that Prime Minister Raila Odinga is scheduled to preside over,” Imanyara said as he sought a ministerial statement regarding the incident from Internal Security ministry.
While declaring that he was not afraid of death and that the attack will not stop agitating for full implementation of the constitution, Imanyara suspected the attack was linked to two meetings held in Nairobi’s Landmark hotel in which unnamed MPs attended.
“The meeting identified some leaders including myself as being stumbling block to some political agenda but am willing to die for defending the constitution and I will not allow some MPs to force me to support certain individuals with presidential ambitions,” he vowed.
Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim termed the claims as “grave” and ordered Mr Ojode “to take urgent steps to only assure the MPs safety but the security of Kenyans as a whole.”
MPs Ababu Namwamba, Millie Odhiambo, Rachel Shebesh, Martha Karua and David Njuguna among others expressed fears over the deteriorating security situation and demanded that the commissioner investigate the gross police misconduct and extra judicial killings.
Imanyara’s claims follow another made by Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo who has recorded a statement with detectives over allegations of an assassination plot against Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Police have also questioned Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Foreign Affairs Minister Prof Sam Ongeri and Eldoret MP William Ruto.
emutai@ke.nationmedia.com
No comments:
Post a Comment