A Jubilee MP is on the wrong side of law enforcement over remarks he made during the burial of West Pokot landslide victims on December 12, 2019.
Kapenguria Member of Parliament Samuel Moroto was probed by Kapenguria DCI detectives for the pronouncements he made regarding the government's efforts towards compensating and resettling of the landslide victims, as reported by Daily Nation.
Moroto is alleged to have uttered abusive words towards President Uhuru Kenyatta over the role of the state in catering for the affected.
Addressing the media, West Pokot County criminal investigations officer Michael Mwenje stated that the Kapenguria MP had made remarks deemed offensive and thus sought clarification.
"The legislator made some remarks regarding the president and we wanted him to clear the air," Mwenje stated.
However, Moroto countered the allegations, arguing that his remarks were made while he was in mourning. "I do not regret my remarks. Those were emotional remarks, and everyone has his or her own style of mourning," he argued.
On January 17, the legislator was summoned to Kapenguria Police Station where he recorded a statement.
Moroto, however, lauded the detectives for how they had conducted themselves but insisted that his utterances were in defence of his people.
“We were mourning and those were emotional remarks but it was true because up to now we have not recovered some bodies buried in the debris,” Moroto stated.
He comments were allegedly fueled by President Kenyatta's pledge to closely monitor and mobilise resources towards the West Pokot landslides disaster.
The head of state had promised to avail funds and relief food, and ensure the success of the resettlement programme. The legislator called out Uhuru, for failure to fulfill the promise.
Moroto joins a long line of MPs who have found themselves on the DCI radar over remarks they have made regarding President Kenyatta.
On September 25, 2017, Daily Nation reported of the arrest of Embakasi East legislator Babu Owino for using abusive words towards President Kenyatta.
Owino was probed over utterances he made while he addressed a rally in Kawangware. However, the ODM legislator defended himself arguing that he had not mentioned a name.
“I will not apologize to anyone because I called nobody’s name during my address,” Owino argued then.
