Vocal Korogocho MCA Absalom Odhiambo Onyango, commonly known as Matakwey or Mobimba was on Monday, January 30 arrested by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over incitement.
Mobimba was picked by the DCI sleuths at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) offices where he had been summoned over his incitement remarks.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke Absalom's lawyer Apollo Mboya confirmed his arrest by detectives from the DCI.
“We arrived at the Commission's headquarters and were asked to sign statements. We requested to be allowed to come in and record the statement on Wednesday, February 1 before they left to go and photocopy the documents” Mboya narrated.
According to the vocal lawyer, it was at this moment that NCIC called detectives from the DCI who came in and picked up his client.
Apollo further disclosed that the commission informed them that they failed to send a copy of the sermon to Absalom because they did not know how to reach him.
He equally stated that his efforts to find out why the MCA was being arrested by the detectives were unsuccessful as the sleuths were cagey in their answers.
"The officers upon my request to inform why they were arresting my client revealed to me that they had instructions from above after Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's complaint," he disclosed.
Apollo further admitted that he was caught unawares by the sleuths who moved with speed in the company of the Nairobi County legislator from the building's 17th floor.
"Upon reaching the ground floor, the officers were armed to the teeth and bundled Absalom into their Subaru and sped off," he decried.
According to Apollo, they were unable to follow the officers and upon checking the DCI offices in Nairobi and the Kiambu road headquarters, Absalom was not held there.
"We have been told that the vehicle ferrying him has been spotted in Kiambu town. We intend to follow up on this," he stated.
Absalom's arrest came against the backdrop of his viral video captured at the Kamukunji rally criticising the Kenya Kwanza leadership while stirring up Azimio supporters.
He was thus summoned by the Rev. Samuel Kobia-led commission which stated that such comments created unnecessary tension that if not well managed could plunge the country into chaos.
“A case in point is the utterances by Korogocho Member of County Assembly Hon. Absalom Odhiambo Onyango at the Azimio La Umoja Alliance rally at the Kamukunji grounds on Monday, January 23 which inter alia invoked ethnic hatred while inciting Kenyans to violence. Therefore, we have summoned Hon. Absalom Odhiambo Onyango to record a statement.” read part of the statement from the NCIC.
Absalom vied on the ODM ticket and won the Korogocho Ward seat which was vacant following the death of former MCA veteran Naftali Ogola who passed on in December 2021.
