Police have arrested East African Legislative Assembly member Simon Mbugua over a recent attack on ex-Nairobi business official Timothy Muriuki.
The lawmaker was grilled by police on Tuesday afternoon, Central Police Station boss Robinson Mboloi said.
VIOLENCE
Mr Mboloi said officers were in the early stages of their investigations into the assault of the businessman as he addressed the media at Hotel Boulevard last week.
Five men were captured on camera roughing up Mr Muriuki before they ejected him out of the hotel.
The attackers claimed Mr Muriuki, in the aborted press conference, was about to tarnish Governor Mike Sonko’s name and they could not allow him to address journalists.
They grabbed Mr Muriuki and forcefully led him out of the hotel as he pleaded with them to let him finish reading his statement.
They would hear none of this and at some point in the scuffle, they argued between themselves on whether to throw Mr Muriuki into the hotel’s swimming pool.
Mr Muriuki was thrown out of the hotel premises where other men on motorcycles formed a circle round him and started shoving and beating him.
They even pushed him into a puddle of dirty water on the pavement.
On Saturday, the National Police Service placed a total of Sh2.5 million bounty on the five suspects.
Police said the suspects had gone into hiding and asked the public to share information that could lead to their arrest.
STREET NAMES
An investigation by Nation established that the five suspects are popularly known as Swaleh, Suleiman Manyange, Mike Mbanya and Bonny.
Some City Hall insiders linked the men to Mr Mbugua.
But he denied any involvement.
“As everybody has rightfully described them, they are goons,” he said of the five men. “Goons are goons, they can be hired by anybody. I used to hang around City Hall when I was jobless, but I left for Eala.”
Mr Sonko, Mr Mbugua added, is his friend. “There is no way I can send people to attack anyone supporting him.”