Detained politicians won't get special treatment
Government Spokesman Eric Kiraithe during a press conference in Nairobi on April 3, 2016. He has said politicians would be subjected to the conditions in the police cells just like any other suspect. PHOTO | ROBERT NGUGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The political tension in the country has cooled down substantially since the politicians’ arrest earlier this week.
- The lawmakers appeared in court on Friday to answer to hate speech related charges.
Politicians will not receive special treatment while in police cells custody over hate speech.
Government spokesperson Eric Kiraithe said the politicians would be subjected to the conditions in the police cells just like any other suspect.
“There have been complaints on social media that the MPs detained at Pangani and Muthaiga police stations were treated with no respect, but I can assure you that they were under the same conditions as other Kenyans in the cells,” Mr Kiraithe said.
He said there was no need to apply double standards as other protesters and people arrested in connection with the current stalemate involving the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission were kept under similar conditions.
“If the politicians feel that the conditions of the cells are not up to the standards, then they can use the same energy they have been applying in rallies to try and help improve the conditions of the cells,” he said.
And although the spokesman said he would not comment on the politicians’ fate as their case was already in court, he warned leaders that the government would not relent in the fight against hate speech which threatened to tear the country apart.
POLITICAL TENSION
The political tension in the country has cooled down substantially since the politicians’ arrest earlier this week, he said.
The lawmakers appeared in court on Friday to answer to hate speech related charges.
They were Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu, Moses Kuria (Gatundu South), Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati), Junet Mohammed (Suna East) and Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba).
The six have been at the Pangani Police Station while their female counterparts, Kilifi and Busia woman representatives Aisha Jumwa and Florence Mutua have been at the Muthaiga police station.
Over the past two days, friends, politicians and relatives of the eight leaders have been making complaints that they had been subjected to unfair treatment at the police stations.
Cord leaders, among them Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, Moses Wetangula and Hassan Joho were on Thursday barred from visiting the male MPs at Pangani Police Station. They however were allowed to meet the two Women Representatives at the OCS’ office at Muthaiga Police Station.
