Leaders questioned over protests against appointment of acting VC

Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos (second from left), Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago (centre) and Kapseret Member of Parliament Oscar Sudi (second from right) leave the headquarters of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Nairobi on September 27, 2016. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago and his Elgeyo Marakwet counterpart Alex Tolgos flew to Nairobi after they were ordered to appear at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters.
  • They were escorted by supporters and their bodyguards.

Governors Jackson Mandago and Alex Tolgos, two Members of Parliament and several Members of the County Assembly were on Tuesday questioned by police for hours over protests against the appointment of an acting university vice-chancellor.

Mr Mandago of Uasin Gishu and Mr Tolgos (Elgeyo Marakwet) flew to Nairobi after they were ordered to appear at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters. They were escorted by supporters and their bodyguards.

During questioning, the governors and MPs Oscar Sudi (Kapseret) and Silas Tiren (Moiben) were separated from their bodyguards and supporters and put in different rooms.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery had ordered the United Republican Party politicians to report to directorate or be arrested.

Last week, the politicians and their supporters stormed Moi University, Eldoret, to protest against the appointment of Prof Laban Ayiro by the Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i. The group was reported to have branded him an “outsider” (not a Kalenjin) and demanded the installation of Prof Isaac Kosgey, who they said had topped the interviews.

Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, who had also been ordered to appear did not show up at the directorate. The leaders arrived from Eldoret at noon after landing at Wilson Airport, where their drivers picked them up.

BE ARRESTED

Mr Nkaissery had warned the leaders that they would be arrested if they continued to incite the public over the appointment of Prof Ayiro to temporarily head the university.

After the questioning, Mr Mandago blamed the media for what he termed as “sensational reporting”, saying that the leaders had not been tribalistic.

“The protest we had was not about tribalism but a call for the right procedure to be followed in the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor,” Mr Mandago said, adding that the leaders would seek truth and fairness at all times.

Mr Mandago, Mr Sudi and Mr Tolgos were accompanied by tens of supporters, who stood at the gate to the dirctorate offices with placards terming the appointment of Prof Ayiro as “unfair”.

The bodyguards were barred from entering the offices and asked to wait at the reception as detectives interviewed the leaders.

National Cohesion and Integration Commission had recommended that the leaders be investigated following the protest, which was condemnded by Deputy President William Ruto, Mr Nkaissery and the commission.

Earlier, tension was high in Eldoret Town after news that the leaders had been summoned to for interogation.