MPs who travelled to Somalia freed, won't face any charges

MPs Rashid Kassim (Wajir East) Omar Salah Maalim (Mandera East), Mohammed Hire (Lagdera) and Kullow Maalim (Banisa) alight from an aircraft at the JKIA in Nairobi after a trip to Somalia, March 1,2020. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Police waited at Wilson Airport in Nairobi for them to return on Sunday but they arrived via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and were questioned there.
  • After the session with police, Security secretary Muriithi Kangi told journalists that the MPs were not interrogated but that they had discussions with the authorities.
  • He said they discussed the nature of their trip as they travelled without the permission of the Foreign Affairs ministry or National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.

The 11 North-Eastern MPs questioned by police about an unauthorised trip to Somalia have been released and will not face any charges.

Police waited at Wilson Airport in Nairobi for them to return on Sunday but they arrived via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and were questioned there.

Six of the parliamentarians are from Mandera, three from Wajir and two from Garissa.

They are Kullow Maalim (Banisa), Ahmed Kolosh (Wajir West), Ibrahim Abdi (Lafey), Rashid Kassim (Wajir East), Mohammed Hire (Lagdera), Omar Salah Maalim (Mandera East), Bashir Abdullahi (Mandera North), Adan Haji (Mandera West), Adan Ali Sheikh (Mandera South), Mohamed Dahir (Dadaab) and Ahmed Bashane (Tarbaj).

"DISCUSSIONS"

After the session with police, Security Secretary Muriithi Kangi told journalists that the MPs were not interrogated but that they had discussions with the authorities.

He said they discussed the nature of their trip as they travelled without the permission of the Foreign Affairs ministry or National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.

Mr Kangi said they also talked abut the discussions they had while in Somalia.

"Of concern was the fact that they travelled to Somalia without the requisite clearance and on a matter that is not clear to the government," he said.

Mr Kangi did not explain why the MPs were set free.

UHURU'S CHALLENGE

MP Kassim said the trip was motivated by President Uhuru Kenyatta's challenge for solutions to North-Eastern's problems, key among them being insecurity.

Al-Shabaab terrorists, who are based in Somalia, often attack civilians and police in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera.

The MP claimed they met Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo for talks on how to deal with the terror group as the severe damage it has caused includes closure of schools.

MP Abdullahi said they travelled in the best interests of Kenya and the North-Eastern region.