• MP Sudi to be charged with hate speech and incitement on Monday in Nakuru.
• Police said he fled his house that was being raided on Saturday night. Shots were fired.
Image: MATHEWS NDANYI
Controversial Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi will be charged on Monday with hate speech and incitement after he surrendered to police in Eldoret.
The MP surrendered at the Langas police station in his constituency before 8am on Sunday.
He was placed under arrest, then flown to Nakuru Central police station for further interrogation by police and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
His lawyer, Gladys Shollei, who is also the Woman Representative for Uasin Gishu, said they hope he will be charged by 9am in Nakuru.
Sudi is accused of making offensive comments about President Uhuru Kenyatta and his family, notably Mama Ngina.
Uasin Gishu police commander Johnstone Ipara, who led the failed raid to find Sudi at his home on Saturday night, confirmed the MP had surrendered himself.
“We were looking for him and there is no way he would have escaped arrest. It’s good the leaders escorted him to surrender and we are telling everyone that the law will be applied equally,” Ipara said.
Sudi surrendered at Langas police station near his home Eldore, accompanied by several MPs alongside a few family members.
"As a law-abiding citizen, I presented myself to the police at Langas police station before even the officers arrived," Sudi said in a tweet.
He said it was unnecessary for police to treat him with "unnecessary drama" by sending a contingent of officers to his home.
"I was away at the time police arrived at my home," Sudi said.
He was esccorted to the police station by MPs Didmus Barasa, Caleb Kositany, Cornelius Serem, Nandi Governor Stephen Sang and Shollei, among others.
Sources told the Star Sudi had taken refuge at a hotel near the police station. He met with the MPs and other leaders, then decided to surrender.
During the raid at Sudi’s home on Saturday, three armed Presidential Escort Unit men were arrested alongside five civilians.
It was not clear what the Presidential Escort Unit men were doing at Sudi's home.
In incident report, Reference OB No. 21 of September 12 filed at the Langas police station in Eldoret, Ipara gave an account of the raid.
He said that on September, 11 at about 7pm, a team of police officers under his command and the area county DCI chief raided Sudi's residence to arrest him for hate speech, which is under investigation by the NCIC.
He said a standoff ensued, occupants of the residence refused to open the gate, prompting the officers to gain entry by climbing over the fence.
Ipara said as soon as they entered, shots were fired from inside the compound. He said No. 103596 PC John Muiruri of the GSU was injured with a panga cut to his right thumb while he was gaining entry.
He said the GSU man was injured by Samuel Kibiwot who suffered gunshot wounds to his right and left shoulders.
Ipara said a search was conducted in the residence but the MP had already fled.
“On further search within the compound and the parking lot, a spent cartridge of 9mm, one for 7.62mm and a panga were recovered," he said.
He said three officers, later confirmed to be from the Presidential Escort Unit, were arrested. Two were inside the compound. One was arrested later; he was believed to have fled with Sudi.
Arrested were No. 95189 PC Simon Siengo who had a Ceska pistol S/No. KP 7856 with two magazines of 15 rounds of 9mm amunition each; and No. 84501 PC Issack Dida, who was in possession of a Jericho pistol S/ No.44332497 with a magazine of 15 rounds of 9mm ammo and another firearm with a magazine of 15 rounds of 9mm ammo.
A third man from the unit, C.I. Ekir, was suspected to have fled the compound alongside the MP, Ipara said. He was later arrested.
The Presidential Escort Unit men had entered the compound with a motor vehicle registration No KBU 893 V, a Toyota Prado. Police recovered a Gilboa firearm S/No. KP5561409 with a magazine of 30 rounds of 5.56mm rounds of ammo from the vehicle.
They also had another motor vehicle, registration No KBR 257 S, Toyota Allion where a Ceska pistol S/No. B022713 with a magazine of 11 rounds of 9mm was recovered.
Ipara said some civilians were also arrested for interrogation.
They included Victor K. Kibitok, Stephen Chege, James Kemboi Kemei, Jonathan Maritim Kosgei and David Birich Kipyego.
“The team left the residence at around 0630hrs in pursuit of the MP at his Elgon View Estate home and he was also not found. The injured officer was treated and," Ipara said.
He said police were searching for Sudi until he surrendered.
(Edited by V. Graham)
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI