Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa claims his life in danger

An MP who forwarded a petition to Parliament alleging some governors had started forming armed militias reportedly for political reasons says his life is now in danger.

Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa told Parliament on Wednesday that he was being trailed by unknown people.

He said a leaflet had been dropped at the gate of his residence giving the indication that some people were after his life.

“I was trailed by three people in a taxi from my constituency office to my residence in Kikuyu. I reported the matter to the police and preliminary investigations indicated the people trailing me were up to no good,” he said on the floor of the House.

The MP said Kiambu Governor William Kabogo had formed a militia in the county, through a petition approved by Speaker Justin Muturi and committed to the National Administration and Security Committee three months ago.

He claimed the House team, chaired by Tiaty MP Asman Kamama, had not acted on it.

However, Mr Kamama dismissed the claims, saying his team had not taken the matter lightly, and though he did not give any indication on the progress of investigations so far, he undertook to ensure that Mr Ichung’wa was accorded extra security.

However, noting the seriousness of the matter, Mr Muturi said top security officials would be summoned to a lawmakers’ kamukunji to discuss security and other issues that appeared to have bottled up with no solution in sight.

PIECEMEAL INTERVENTIONS

“The chairman of the security committee has made a commitment to have the Interior Cabinet Secretary intervene but it appears these piecemeal interventions are getting nowhere.

“We need to set aside one morning on either a Tuesday or Thursday to have the CS and his entire team answer members’ questions in a Kamukunji,” he said.

Saying the issue raised by Mr Ichung’wa was “serious”, he directed that a few members contribute to it so that the transcription would be forwarded to Mr Nkaissery and Mr Boinnet, to acquaint themselves with issues raised by MPs.

He also read out a leaflet reportedly dropped at the gate to his residence in Kikuyu, and addressed to his shamba boy, one Mr Karanja, written in poor Kiswahili by a group calling itself “Mwanangaza”, which he claimed had emerged to replace the outlawed Mungiki sect.

The note reportedly warned that Mr Karanja and his boss would end up “six feet under”, accusing the former of “scuttling its plans by reporting the matter to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.”

The MP decried rising insecurity in Kiambu County, citing the recent disappearance of a young lawyer and the killing of a matatu operator, whose body was found dumped in Gilgil.

MPs, including Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo, said Mr Ichung’wa should be accorded adequate security in the wake of the threats to his life.