Gema community Coast chairman Chrispus Waithaka was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly threatening Kilifi woman representative Aisha Jumwa.
Waithaka was arrested a few hours after Kilifi county commissioner Joseph Keter gave an ultimatum for his arrest by yesterday. He was later released on Sh5,000 police bond.
Waithaka on Monday warned Jumwa against referring to President Uhuru Kenyatta as “yule jamaa” (that fellow). Keter said Waithaka was arrested in Nyali, Mombasa county, and taken to Mtwapa police station where he was grilled by the CID.
“He was released on Sh5,000 bond after recording a statement. He will return to the station on Thursday [yesterday] for further investigations,” he said in an SMS.
During the Madaraka Day celebrations in Karisa Maitha Grounds on Wednesday, Governor Amason Kingi warned that if Waithaka was not arrested, it could spark outrage from the public.
“County commissioner, we want to see action over the matter, but if you are going to treat it casually then know one day things will be out of control,” Kingi said.
“We know Kenya is one and the idea that it’s only Kenyatta who fought for the independence of this country is misplaced. Don’t force us to go back into history because that history is what bred MRC, Kaya Bombo and the Mulungu Nipa uprising.”
He said someone who calls a leader to threaten him or her must have other forces behind him.
Leaders called for peaceful coexistence between the tribes living in the county and the immediate arrest of Waithaka. Kaya elders, led by Kazungu wa Hawerisa, urged leaders not to take the prevailing peace for granted.
