Sudi arrested, flown to Nakuru over hate speech, incitement

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 Kapsaret MP Oscar Sudi being escorted to a car at the Langas police station on September 13, 2020.

Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi was arrested on Sunday morning after presenting himself at Langas police station following accusations of hate speech and incitement.

Sudi was whisked away to the Eldoret Airstrip and flown to Nakuru.

He was taken to Nakuru Central police station.

Earlier, Sudi’s lawyer and Uasin Gishu Woman Representative Gladys Shollei said, “We would like to confirm that Sudi presented himself and is in safe custody of the police. He will be flown to the NCIC in Nairobi.”

She said Sudi was in safe hands and urged residents to remain calm as the law takes its course.

“He was not on the run and neither was he summoned. He walked into the station on his own,” Shollei said.

Sudi had earlier taken to Facebook to post, “As a law abiding citizen I have presented myself at Langas Police Station early this morning even before the officers arrive.”

” It was unnecessary to be treated with a lot of drama by sending contingent of police officers to my home. I was away the time police arrived at my place. Thank you all for standing with me.”

Sudi was accompanied by MPs Didmus Barasa, Caleb Kostany, Cornelius Serem, Governor Stephen Sang and Uasin Gishu Woman Representative Gladys Shollei.

On Friday night, there was drama as police surrounded Sudi’s home in a bid to arrest him.

This came soon after Sudi addressed a public meeting in Eldoret.

About 100 police officers camped at the MP’s home near Kapsaret trading centre along Kisumu highway in Eldoret but did not enter the compound.    

The police fired tear gas as hundreds of protesting villagers arrived at the home and used logs and rocks to block all roads in a bid to stop the officers from arresting the legislator.

At one point, the officers disconnected power to the home and gained entry but did not access the MP.

He was said to have been with friends and kept on communicating with colleagues  through social media. A security officer was injured during the fracas at the home.

“Must they deploy more than 100 police officers to arrest me? What crime have I done to these people? I wish they used the same energy to arrest the Covid-19 millionares”, said Sudi in one of his several tweets.

After camping at the house for eight hours, the police officers drove away without the MP.

A group of the MPs led by Uasin Gishu woman representative Gladys Shollei were present during the confrontation at Sudi’s home.

Shollei, a lawyer, protested, complaining that Sudi had been in Eldoret during the day but was not arrested.    

“It’s the same police officers who licensed the meeting he held in Eldoret and we are wondering why they have turned up at night at his home causing unnecessary tensions in this area,” she said.

She asked the police to let the MP present himself to the police on Monday instead of seeking to detain him for the whole weekend.  Shollei pleaded with the villagers to remain calm as the matter was being sorted out.

Sudi is wanted over utterances against President Uhuru Kenyatta and his mother Mama Ngina Kenyatta. The MP posted on social media video clips in which he lectured the President and the former First Lady with remarks which were widely condemned as abusive and inciting.

The NCIC said the MP is under investigation over the remarks.

Sudi refused to withdraw the remarks and insisted that he had not abused anyone.

“They must tell me what I have done before I apologise,” he said, describing those condemning his remarks as “conmen and looters”.

Uhuru responded to the remarks, telling those abusing his mother to leave her alone and go and abuse their own mothers.

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