MP Sara Korere testifies against Mathew Lempurkel

Laikipia North MP Sarah Korere has testified in a case in which her predecessor Mathew Lempurkel is accused of assaulting her.

The MP on Monday narrated how they arrived for meeting called by former Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaisserry at his Harambee House office in Nairobi.

RANCHES

The meeting, she said, had been requested by Members of County Assembly from Laikipia North and West over insecurity in the area.

Then, herders were invading private ranches in droves and banditry was on the rise.

The area was later classified as disturbed and Kenya Defence Forces deployed to restore law and order.

Before heading to Harambee House, Ms Korere said the leaders had held another breakfast meeting at Intercontinental Hotel.

But before Ms Korere could read out a list of persons who attended the meeting at Harambee House, Mr Lempurkel, through his lawyer James Orengo protested, saying he was seeing the document to for the first time and needed time to peruse it.

CHARGES

Senior Resident Magistrate Hellen Onkwani allowed Mr Orengo about 15 minutes to study the document but when the court resumed, the defence lawyer, who is also the Siaya senator, said he needed more time.

Mr Orengo complained that Ms Korere had initially made a report to the police claiming that Mr Lempurkel had threatened to kill her.

The charges he is facing, however, were assault and injuring her.

“There is a consistent attempt to bring all manner of charges against my client. This is not prosecution but persecution,” he said.

ASSAULT

Mr Orengo told the court that the prosecution had a habit of bringing “trumped-up” charges against Mr Lempurkel.

The court allowed the application for adjournment so that he could peruse the document.

Mr Lempurkel, who lost the Laikipia North parliamentary seat to Ms Korere, is accused of assaulting the latter on November 21, 2016. Then, Ms Korere was a nominated MP.

The case will be heard on October 9.