Police in Kisii on Monday afternoon stormed a venue in Ogembo where Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi was holding a party meeting, making him flee.
President Uhuru Kenyatta last week suspended political gatherings for 60 days. Gatherings are only allowed in social halls and attendees equivalent to a third of the capacity are allowed to attend.
Wamunyinyi was meeting Ford Kenya party members and officials from Kisii and Nyamira counties at a restaurant on Kisii-Kilgoris road when police on patrol stormed in minutes to the end of the function.
A brief altercation ensued between an officer and the MP before they ordered that he accompany them to Ogembo police station to record a statement.
It was at this point that Wamunyinyi took off into his car and ordered the driver to go.
A hotel staffer said the MP, in a hurry to escape arrest, left unsettled bills at the eatery.
“We don’t have his contact and we are at a loss on how we are going to reach him so that he can settle bills for the food the members ate here,” said the hotel staffer.
Only Sh7,000 of the required Sh14,000 had been sorted before police stormed in, the waiter said.
Earlier, Wamunyinyi had told embattled Ford Kenya party chairman Moses Wetang’ula to attend the planned delegates conference on November 21 if he wants to vie for any party post.
He said the party was now focused on revamping itself ahead of the General Election.
In May, Wamunyinyi unsuccessfully tried to unseat Wetang’ula from the party chairman position.
He said the party members are going to meet at Bomas to pick fresh leaders, adding that the party was in wrong hands.
“One may ask if we ever had a candidate who successfully ran for presidency. If it is Wetang’ula he had been doing so perennially without fruits,” said Wamunyinyi.
The meetings in Kisii were to rally members to attend the upcoming national delegates conference to elect new leaders, he told journalists.
“All of you are aware that the party has not conducted any elections for more than a decade now which is illegal according to registrar of the political party’s act,” said Wamunyinyi.
The upcoming event is for all party members where they will be eligible to vie so that we get new leaders, stated the MP.
On BBI, Wamunyinyi said party was supportive of the initiative.