A woman allegedly shot by Lamu Senator, Anwar Loitiptip, has now revealed that she was coerced to accept an out of court settlement deal from the politician.
Speaking to the media, Joy Makena affirmed that she was forced to agree to a settlement of Ksh70,000, failure to which, she claims, the senator threatened to jail her two friends who accompanied her on the fateful day.
"I've already become disabled due to the injuries incurred after the shooting incident. I was ready to follow up the matter in court but I declined to do so after he filed an application against my friends and threatened to jail them if I didn't comply with his demands," she stated.
Her father Stephen Kobia, narrated that the senator had promised to settle her medical expenses, hence urged his daughter to forgive him for the incident.
According to a statement released by the Lamu senator, his actions were in self defense after he was allegedly attacked by the two friends who had accompanied Makena.
"...the truth is that I was attacked by a knife-wielding gang last night," he spoke to the media.
Makena, however, claimed that her friends had tried to separate a fight that had broke out between the senator and another woman.
"As we tried to flee the incident, he shot me in the leg, I clutched on a tree and crawled to safety," she reminisced. The matter was soon claimed to have been solved after an out of court settlement was announced.
“We have reached an out of court settlement with the person I had complained against and I do not wish to further pursue any charges against the accused person."
"This agreement is entered into without undue influence, coercion or misrepresentation and is binding to the parties," an excerpt of the agreement read.
Makena is now urging the relevant authorities to intervene and justice to prevail. The issue regarding circumstances which firearm holders' licenses should be revoked has triggered an online debate.
According to the Firearms Act, a firearm certificate may be revoked by a licensing officer if the licensing officer is satisfied that the holder is prohibited by or under the Act from possessing a firearm to which the firearm certificate relates, or is of intemperate habits or unsound mind.
Further, the firearm certificate may be withdrawn if the licensed holder is deemed unfit to be entrusted with a firearm.
