Kitui interim county secretary Fredrick Martin Muli was yesterday arrested in his office by the police. Muli is among the senior county officers in Machakos, who is third in rank after governor and deputy governor.
Eight officers led by Kitui police boss Alex Korir were complying to warrant of arrest orders issued by the High Court in Machakos on December 2, after Muli failed to attend a court hearing, in which the county government is being sued.
The arrest order was last week served on the Kitui county police boss Cheruto Githinji, who relegated the order to arrest Muli to Korir. An attempt to arrest Muli last Thursday flopped when he escaped by sneaking out of office.
Retired Major Joshua Kasina is suing the county government seeking to paid more than Sh2.2 million owed to him. Immediately after being arrested, Muli was whisked into a waiting private car waiting in the parking lot that sped off immediately.
Kitui County Transitional Authority's Wambua Kitua and Kitui Central acting deputy police boss Ngala Mwachiro tried to plead with Korir not to arrest Muli in vain.
The suit that led to Muli’s arrest emanates from the destruction of Kasina’ building in Mwingi town in late 1990s by Mwingi town council staff. At the time, Kasina sued Mwingi Town council, which was ordered to pay him damages worth Sh2.1 million in October last year.
The council had not paid the amount by the time the county governments took over. The Kitui government has consequently taken up the liabilities and assets of the defunct council.