Politician Arrested at Ruto's Rally

Lamu West Member of Parliament aspirant Abdirashid Mwaura during a campaign on February 27, 2022.
Lamu West Member of Parliament aspirant Abdirashid Mwaura during a campaign on February 27, 2022.
Courtesy Abdirashid Mwaura

Lamu West Parliamentary aspirant Abdirashid Mwaura was on Friday, April 1 arrested at Deputy President William Ruto's campaign rally in Lamu County.

Police confirmed the arrest of the senior Lamu politician for allegedly interrupting DP Ruto's rally in Hindi, Lamu.

Lamu police boss Geoffrey Osanane confirmed the arrest and cautioned politicians against unruly behaviour at campaign rallies.

Lamu West Parliamentary aspirant Abdirashid Mwaura at the KICC for the Azimio la Umoja NDC on Saturday, March 12, 2022.
Lamu West Parliamentary aspirant Abdirashid Mwaura at the KICC for the Azimio la Umoja NDC on Saturday, March 12, 2022.
Courtesy Abdirashid Mwaura

Police further advised politicians to exercise restraint when their opponents are campaigning in their backyards.

Mwaura is a staunch supporter of President Uhuru Kenyatta and he was at the Azimio La Umoja Convention where delegates endorsed ODM leader Raila Odinga for the presidency.

The Lamu OCPD noted that Mwaura is currently in custody at Hindi Police Station and will be arraigned on Monday, April 2.

Osanane stated that Mwaura is expected to face at least four charges, including resisting arrest and causing interference.

His arrest comes amid a campaign by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) meant to foster peace among all communities in the country.

NCIC noted that social media is being used poorly by politicians and their supporters and this was a cause of concern for them.

The NCIC was speaking after confirming that 36 bloggers allied to different political factions were being investigated. 

The 36 bloggers were alleged to be behind coordinated attacks orchestrated by the Azimio La Umoja coalition and the Kenya Kwanza alliance. 

Undated image of NCIC Samuel Kobia during a press briefing in Nairobi, Kenya.
Undated image of NCIC Samuel Kobia during a press briefing in Nairobi, Kenya.
West FM

NCIC Chairperson Samuel Kobia who addressed the press stated that so far the commission has presented 9 cases before the court while the 27 others were still under investigation. 

The Chairperson further stated that the 36 unnamed bloggers are notorious for spreading hate speech messages across their social media platforms.

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