• Committee says the team would handle all security matters pertaining to Members of Parliament including summons to appear before law enforcement agencies.
• It investigated the recent dramatic arrest of three senators.
Image: HILTON OTENYO
A Senate committee wants the Parliamentary Service Commission to establish a security liaison office to handle all issues regarding MPs and security agencies to eradicate inhumane arrest of members.
This was recommended by the Senate National Security Committee that investigated the recent dramatic arrest of three senators.
In a report tabled on the floor on Tuesday, the committee chaired by Garissa Senator Yusuf Haji said the team would handle all security matters pertaining to members of Parliament including summons to appear before law enforcement agencies.
“In the event that the law enforcers require to summon, arrest or recording of statement, they should liaise with the office,” the report reads.
This comes even as Police IG Hillary Mutyambai on Wednesday skipped an invite by the committee over claims by Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala.
Speaker Kenneth Lusaka ordered the committee to summon the IG after Malala wrote to him alleging his life was in danger and pleaded with the speaker for additional security. Malala claimed an "assassination squad" had been trailing him.
But Mutyambai said he was unable to attend and requested to appear before the panel next Monday.
In the report, the panel fingered the police over what it termed cruel, inhumane and undignified manner of arresting the three senators.
“That the law enforcement agencies should undertake their functions within the law and desist from undertaking arrest in a cruel manner like how the three senators were handled,” the report notes.
Senators Malala (Kakamega), Steve Lelegwe (Samburu) and Christopher Lang'at (Bomet) were arrested by DCI officers who had camped outside their homes for more than 10 hours on August 17.
They were ferried to their respective counties where they recorded statements in relation to what the police said was ongoing investigations against them.
“There was no justification whatsoever in deploying unduly large police contingents or use excessive force to arrest the Senators,” the committee said.
According to submission by Mutyambai, Langat was arrested for overseeing a cleansing ceremony of 200 Kipsigis youth in anticipation of clashing with the Maasai.
“They were assembled by Lang’at and eight others who included two elders hired for oathing ceremony,” the report reads.
Lelegwe, on other hand, was arrested for allegedly inciting violence between Samburu, Pokot and Turkana communities.
“The IG noted that Lelegwe's name has been greatly featured as among the inciters in the violence attacks,” the report reads.
The IG informed the committee that on August 16, Malala gathered about 200 women and boda boda riders at Mumias shopping centre, contrary to the Covid 19 regulations.
The committee ordered Mutyambai and DCI George Kinoti to expedite investigations and submit to the Senate a detailed report in 10 days about persons who have been trailing senators in privately registered vehicles.
The lawmakers were arrested on the day they were expected to attend a special sitting to debate and vote on the contentious third basis for sharing revenue among counties.
The report says the arrests were calculated to block them from attending the sitting.
Edited by R.Wamochie