DCI grills MPs, county Speaker over Raila chopper attack
Soy MP Caleb Kositany (left) and Kapseret’s Oscar Sudi member arrive at the Regional DCI offices in Nakuru on April 3, 2022. They were questioned over Friday’s attack on Azimio leader Raila Odinga's helicopter.
Detectives investigating last Friday’s attack on Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition presidential flag bearer Raila Odinga in Eldoret have confiscated phones belonging to two MPs and a senior official of the Uasin Gishu County Assembly to aid in investigations.
The detectives impounded mobile phones belonging to MPs Oscar Sudi (Kapseret) and Caleb Kositany (Soy) and also that of Uasin Gishu County Assembly Speaker David Kiplagat after an intense grilling of the three leaders.
“They have taken our mobile phones over what they said is to help them in further investigations. We were here to shed more light on the Friday attack and we have explained ourselves before the detectives,” said Mr Kositany after the grilling.
At exactly 12.56pm on Sunday, the black Toyota Land Cruiser Prado carrying the MPs arrived at the Rift Valley Regional Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters.
Linked to attack
The DCI on Saturday summoned the three after linking them to the planning and financing of the Friday attack on Mr Odinga's convoy including his helicopter.
And for more than four straight hours, the two were intensely grilled by detectives led by Rift Valley regional DCI boss Mwenda Meme.
Earlier on Sunday, Mr Kiplagat arrived at the regional DCI headquarters and was the first one to be interrogated. But remained holed up in the offices until 5.30pm.
After the grilling, the three were on Sunday evening set free.
The three were honouring summons issued by DCI detectives investigating the attack that left the air shield of Mr Odinga's chopper destroyed after rowdy youths pelted Mr Odinga’s entourage with stones.
The chopper carrying Mr Odinga was stoned minutes after he arrived at the home of the late Mzee Jackson Kibor in Kabenes, Uasin Gishu County, to condole with the family.
Ruto allies
Addressing the press after hours of grilling, Mr Sudi claimed the government was using state agencies to intimidate opponents of Mr Odinga.
“What happened today is the usual use of state agencies including the DCI to intimidate allies of Deputy President William Ruto. We are used to this kind of intimidation, but it will end on August 9,” said Mr Sudi.
According to a senior detective, the three were asked to explain what they know about the attack before they recorded statements.
“We have confiscated their phones which will aid us in further investigations. They may also be summoned again to shed more light on the incident,” said the senior detective who did not wish to be named.
Attack condemned
The three were summoned to shed light on the attack which has received condemnation from across the political divide.
They are under scrutiny over alleged planning and financing of the attack.
"They were invited to shed light on the incident and they therefore presented themselves to help detectives arrest those behind the attack,” said lawyer Kipkoech Ngetich who accompanied the leaders.
On Friday around 5.50pm, Mr Odinga’s entourage arrived in two helicopters for the funeral of Mzee Kibor. By then, most mourners had already left Mzee Kibor’s homestead in Soy Constituency.
It was when Mr Odinga was still at Mzee Kibor condoling the family that the attack happened.
The rowdy youths who were chanting pro-UDA slogans stoned Mr Odinga’s entourage, destroying his helicopter‘s windscreen.
During the incident, Mr Odinga’s vehicles and helicopter were pelted with stones.
Police officers who had been deployed to the scene had to fire teargas to disperse the hostile crowd.
Apology
The incident has in the past two days received condemnation from various leaders, including Deputy President William Ruto, who on Saturday apologised to the former premier.
Dr Ruto, who will be battling it out with Mr Odinga in a bid to become Kenya’s fifth president in the August 9 polls, said violence tears down the country's democracy.
He termed the violence retrogressive and divisive and asked Kenyans to allow politicians to sell their agenda in every corner of this country then decide whom to rally behind ahead of the August General Election.
