Sara Korere accuses Mathew Lempurkel of sending her vile message

Laikipia North MP Mathew Lempurkel, who traded blows with his rival Sara Korere at Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery's office, has been arrested at Parliament.

Mr Lempurkel was arrested immediately after arriving at the Parliament Police Station to collect a P3 form to use in his case against Ms Korere, a nominated MP.

Instead of handing him the form, officers bundled him into a waiting vehicle that took him to the Kileleshwa Police Station.           

The arrest came hours after it emerged that the lawmaker is facing an additional charge of sending Ms Korere an abusive message.

DEATH THREAT

Ms Korere on Tuesday reported the message to police in Nairobi with the help of her female colleagues.

The message, sent at 5pm on Monday, moments after Mr Lempurkel allegedly slapped and stepped on Ms Korere's stomach, threatening her to withdraw the case she had filed against him or she dies.

The message, seen by a Nation.co.ke reporter, includes insults such as "idiot" and "prostitute" and was read verbatim by Nairobi Woman Representative Rachel Shebesh at a press conference at Parliament.

TAKE ACTION

The MPs demanded that Mr Nkaissery and the Inspector-General of Police take action against the MP, who has since alleged he was the one who was attacked.

This came as the Rift Valley Council of Elders and local leaders demanded the immediate arrest of Mr Lempurkel, whom they want charged with incitement.

Their call comes hardly a day after the MP snubbed a key peace meeting that brought together local leaders and elders of warring communities of Samburu and Turkana in Rumuruti.

The elders, during the meeting attended by Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu and Senator Geoffrey Gitahi Kariuki, vowed to campaign for peace in the county.

IMPORTING HERDERS

Led by council chairman Gilbert Kabage, the elders now want National Cohesion and Integration Commission boss Francis Ole Kaparo to investigate other politicians in the area who have been accused of fuelling hostilities.

“We demand the immediate arrest of Mr Lempurkel. This man has been inciting communities against each other in the larger Laikipia County. He is a threat to the peace and unity of Laikipia residents,” said Mr Kabage.

However, Mr Lempurkel was not alone, as other area lawmakers, including Wachira Karani (Laikipia West) and Jane Apollos (woman representative), also snubbed the meeting.

The elders accused the MP of inviting herders from neighbouring Isiolo and Samburu counties to come and invade private ranches in Laikipia North and other parts of Laikipia.

PROVIDE EVIDENCE

“We are ready to provide evidence to the investigating authorities. The MP is a serious threat to the peace of the county,” added Council Secretary Peter Charagu.

“The MP is inciting locals oblivious of what happened in the 2007 post-election violence,” said Mr Kabage.

They said they will not allow politicians to use ethnicity to divide people, especially those living in the Rift Valley.