Police have linked outgoing Kakamega senator, Cleophas Malala, to four electoral offences recorded during the Monday, August 29 gubernatorial elections in the county.
On Thursday, September 1, Western Regional Commander Peris Kimani clarified that they wanted the senator to answer the charges pinned on him.
Among the allegations levelled at Malala is robbery with violence. He was also accused of hiring goons who reportedly meted violence on some Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) officials.
Kimani further detailed that victims' reports and investigations link the legislator to the electoral offences.
Defending the raid at his home, the Regional Commander disclosed that Malala failed to honour their summons.
"Today our officers went to the outgoing senator's home to arrest him but he refused to let them in. He also failed to adhere to our summon's yesterday," she stated.
"This follows the cases which came up during the just concluded elections. We had so many people who were involved in election malpractice. He was linked to four of the reported seventeen cases and we needed him to come for processing," Kimani, Western Regional Commander, added.
According to the police boss, grilling Malala would shed light on what transpired before forwarding the file for further assessment. It was also meant to give the former lawmaker a right to reply.
"We are requesting him to appear at the police station so that we can process these cases and forward them to court. We as the police cannot conclude cases; they can only be wrapped up by the courts," she reiterated.
On the other hand, the Western Region DCI boss Chacha Magwe revealed that they were tracking other political leaders accused of violence, voter bribery and other electoral offences committed during the voting exercise.
He dismissed reports that Malala's arrest warrant was politically motivated, maintaining that it is part of a large scheme being rolled out in the country.
Chacha further advised the senator to surrender to the nearby police station for questioning.
"It is not that we are investigating Malala alone; we are investigating every person who committed electoral offences on August 29. The cases were many and Malala is directly involved in four," he concurred with Peris Kimani.
"If he refuses to follow the law we are left with no choice but to use necessary force to apprehend him as nobody is above the law," Chacha cautioned.
