Media barred from covering Matiangi's senate grilling

 

Journalists have been kicked out of a senate Committee meeting where Interior CS Fred Matiangi is being grilled over the dramatic arrest of three senators on Monday.

The CS was accompanied by Police IG Hillary Mutyambai.

The meeting started at 10am. Matiangi and Mutyambai arrived minutes before 10am.

Journalists who had arrived in Parliament were ordered out by the chairman of the National Security Committee Yusuf Haji.

"What are you doing here. I don't remember inviting you here. Go back we will call you back later," Haji told journalists.

Speaker Kenneth Lusaka had ordered the panel to summon the top security bosses after they skipped an invitation on Monday to explain the arrest of the lawmakers.

Journalists who had arrived in Parliament were ordered out by the chairman of the National Security Committee Yusuf Haji.
Image: EZEKIEL AMINGA

Senators Steve Lelegwe (Samburu), Christopher Langat (Bomet) and Cleophas Malala (Kakamega) were arrested on Monday just hours before the contentious motion on revenue sharing formula was set to be determined.

Following the arrest, senators shifted their focus from the revenue-sharing formula and demanded that the three be released.

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Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka echoed their cries, saying that when a senator is harassed, they must stick together.

"The chair of the security committee should convene and get all parties to give information on whereabouts of the senators and report back on the progress," Lusaka said.

National Security and Foreign Relations chairperson Haji had informed the House that the CS failed to appear before the Senate on Monday afternoon, citing that he was on a leave.