Senior officials face ethics team on Keter

Two senior government officials Wednesday appeared before the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

State House Comptroller Lawrence Lenayapa and Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Osman Warfa were before the commission over Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter’s altercation at the Gilgil weighbridge on Saturday night.

Mr Keter and his URP counterpart Sonia Birdi were also before the ethics team for the second time and recorded statements following the release of a video, which has since gone viral, showing Mr Keter insulting officers manning the weighbridge.

Mr Lenayapa and Mr Warfa gave their side of the story after being mentioned by Mr Keter a number of times in the footage where the MP was captured insulting and threatening officers at the Gilgil weighbridge.

The two had been summoned to appear before the commission today, but presented themselves a day earlier, the anti-graft spokesman, Mr Yassin Amaro said.

“We were expecting them tomorrow but since they have come today, we could not turn them back and they have therefore recorded their statements,” Mr Amaro told the Nation Wednesday at Integrity Centre, Nairobi.

ANGERED

During the incident, Mr Keter appeared to have been angered by the officers’ refusal to release an impounded truck, which lacked an exemption permit to be driven on public roads.

Mr Keter claimed the officer refused to answer calls which he alleged were made by Mr Lenayapa, Tiaty MP Asman Kamama who is also Parliament’s Administration and National Security Committee chairman and Mr Warfa. Mr Kamama will record his statement Thursday.

Mr Keter was accompanied by Ms Birdi, whose truck is fitted with a drilling rig.

They were summoned following a public outcry after the expletive-laden rant recorded by one of the officers was viewed online.

The two said they would not apologise for their behaviour or the words that were used against the officers.