Former Laikipia North Member of Parliament Matthew Lempurkel was on Thursday acquitted of incitement to violence charges.
The ex-legislator had been accused of threatening to burn down Rumuruti Police Station in an effort to free a suspect from custody on July 31, 2016.
He was released after the court stated that the prosecution produced contradictory evidence.
[caption caption="Mathew Lempurkel"]
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In February, a police officer narrated to a Nanyuki court how Lempurkel and his supporters stormed the Rumuruti police station about two years ago and threatened to set it ablaze.
Lawrence Waweru said the politician was accompanied by about 10 supporters and demanded the release of Dominic Lenyamile, who had been arrested for malicious damage to property.
He was also accused of threatening to harm officer Nicholas Kipruto, who was manning the report desk at the station on July 31, 2016.
Waweru told chief magistrate Lucy Mutai that he found Lempurkel telling Kipruto to free Lenyamile, failing which they would burn the station.
“Shortly, the OCS arrived, accompanied by the area DCIO, and talked to the MP. I was instructed to escort the suspect to the Nyahururu police station,” he divulged.
In a separate incident in March, he was tricked to visit Rumuruti Police Station and was arrested.
The same day, he was taken to five police stations, including one in Subukia, Nakuru County, before being presented to a Nanyuki court the following day at 5 pm.
Though he was released on a bond of Khs250,000 after denying charges of inciting the Pokot and the Samburu to revenge against “disappearance of our people in the hands of police”, the ruling on bond application was delivered long after the court registry had closed, forcing him to spend another night in police cells.
[caption caption="Mathew Lempurkel"]
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