Alfred Keter claims officers at Gilgil weighbridge were soliciting bribes

Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter has claimed that officers at the Gilgil weighbridge were asking for bribes, as controversy over a video of him in a foul-mouthed tirade against them continues to grow.

The video, which seems to have been recorded on a smartphone, was posted and widely shared online and shows a furious Mr Keter, accompanied by URP nominated MP Sunjeev Kaur Birdi, popularly known as Sonia Birdi, confronting personnel at the weighbridge.

A truck belonging to Ms Birdi had been detained by police officers seconded to the Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) to enforce the laws related to weight of trucks.

The MP got infuriated after the officers refused to release the truck and also to pick the calls from some senior officers who wanted the truck released.

He warned: “You know my worry is…let me tell you, we are the government. The State House controller anawapigia simu (is calling you), and no one picks.”

Among the people whose calls were never picked, according to Mr Keter, is Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Osman Warfa and Tiaty MP Asman Kamama, who is also the chairman of the House committee on National Security.

When the two were told that the truck belonging to Ms Birdi did not have the necessary permit, Ms Birdi said that the issue was not the permit but the failure of the officers to pick calls

When the officials reminded him that they were just enforcing the laws, Mr Keter warned them of unspecified action. “We will reverse the law and we have to start with you!”

He reminded the officers that it was the work of the legislators to make law, saying that they were free to break them. “We are the ones making laws when we want we break them.”

He warned the officers that he would deal with them.

“I fight big wars. I don’t fight small wars. Tell your boss he is stupid,” he warned.

'A CORRUPTION CENTRE'

But speaking to journalists outside the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters on Kiambu Road on Sunday afternoon, Mr Keter said they were called to the weighbridge and were told that the officer there “were behaving in a manner that suggested they wanted a bribe”.

“We tried to address the issue they were raising but we found out it wasn’t about the licensing and that other vehicles had also been grounded,” he said.

He alleged that the officers there had been asking for bribes of between Sh10,000 and Sh50,000.

“We cannot handle corruption issues while smiling. We were emotional because we saw Kenyans that had been waiting at a weighbridge that has been turned into a corruption centre. There is a lot of money circulating there through corruption.”

He asked the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the police to help deal with corruption at the weighbridge as he and Ms Birdi recorded statements.

Asked about what he meant when he said MPs make the laws and can break them, the legislator said he meant that MPs make the laws and can change them when necessary.

Said Ms Birdi: “We told them that everything is in order and they should stop bothering us. The fact is we got upset because these people are actually demanding bribes.

“How are we supposed to know that this paper is required and we have been doing this business for the last 25 years (without it)? We’ve been in that business for the last 25 years, my friend. Nobody has ever asked us. Nobody has ever stopped us and I am not the only one. There are so many people in the industry who can tell you how they have always been asked for a bribe.”

The Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko had earlier directed police and the anti-graft body to investigate the incident.

WENT VIRAL

The video of the commotion at the weighbridge went viral on social media.

Majority Leader Aden Duale called for action to be taken against the MP.

In a post on Twitter, Mr Duale said “The relevant institutions should take action on any misconduct involving any of our members.

“The government does not condone corruption, coercion or intimidation in the name of @StateHouseKenya or President @UKenyatta.”

And on Sunday afternoon, the Presidential Strategic Communications Unit released a statement condemning the incident.

“The Presidency has never, does not and will never support or condone corruption, extortion or abuse of power by any State or public officer.

“It has continued to offer strong support to national institutions in developing capacity to robustly, consistently and effectively wage war on corruption,” the statement read.

“The Presidency condemns the incident where several public and/or State officers are alleged to have abused their power and exerted undue pressure on officers lawfully going about their duties in order to evade due process.

“We remind everyone that there is a sound public interest in enforcing axle load regulations without exception. We also have obligations to regional States in this connection.

“We encourage every public officer to resist corruption and pressure to evade the law regardless of its sources.”

COMMENDS OFFICERS

The statement continued: 'The Presidency commends the officers who stood up for what is right and encourages them to continue supporting government efforts to provide public services in an efficient, prompt and transparent manner.

'The Presidency urges responsible government agencies to ensure that this regrettable incident is swiftly subjected to the due process of law.”