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Moses Kuria: Our stay in police cell ‘united’ us


The six legislators who were recently locked up at a Police Station for three days for alleged hate speech say they had ample time behind bars to discuss matters of national importance.

According to Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, the legislators put aside their party affiliation and during their incarceration and even rejected efforts by Cord leader Raila Odinga to meet them separately during one of his visits to Pangani Police Station.

“He (Raila) came to the OCS office and asked to see us,”Mr Kuria who was one of those arrested, explained in an exclusive interview with NTV on Saturday night.

“He first wanted to meet the three Cord legislators and thereafter talk to those of us from the Jubilee wing. We plainly told him No,” Kuria said.

The controversial lawmaker added that the politicians also took time to discuss, among other things, issues regarding the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

STREET DEMOS

The opposition has for the past two months led streets protests in a bid to force IEBC officials to vacate office.

Most of the demos have however been marked with violence pitting the protesters and security forces resulting in death, injury and damage of property.

Mr Kuria, who was arrested after being caught on camera suggesting that Mr Odinga should be assassinated, claimed that he has held talks with the former Prime Minister “to clear the air.”

Apart from Mr Kuria, the other MPs who were arrested and arraigned in court on charges of hate speech are Junet Mohammed (Suna East), Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba), Ferdinand Waititu (Kabete), Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati), Aisha Jumwa (Kilifi), Florence Mutua (Busia) and Senator Johnson Muthama (Machakos).

Kuria and Muthama are among a group of legislators who have been named in the Joint Select Committee to hold talks to resolve the IEBC standoff.