• Osotsi claims there were plans to arrest him on Friday during launch of CIPD
• He is however safe and not in any police custody as alleged on social media
Image: MARTIN OMBIMA
Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi has dismissed claims he was arrested last Friday while at Sosa cottages, where Vihiga Governor Wilber Ottichilo was launching his growth plan for 2023-2027.
“I wish to inform my supporters that I am safe and am not in any police custody as it has been going round in the social media,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Osotsi however said there were plans to arrest him during the launch of the County Integrated Development Plan by the county government.
He said a number of fully armed security agents were stationed outside Sosa cottages, with several others in plain clothes inside Sosa cottages, ready to undertake the illegal arrest.
“I had a tip-off that the arrest squad was in constant communication with a top ANC official, who is a two-term MP and was seated with other leaders at the function,” he said.
“I want to thank my supporters and like-minded people who helped me to outsmart the arresters by timely exit from the scene.”
He says they had intended to arrest him on misplaced and unfounded fears that he was planning to disrupt President William Ruto's functions in Vihiga on Saturday.
The lawmaker says he had no such plans and as a leader who believes in freedom of assembly and association, he cannot engage in such "primitive and illegal activity".
He says the tour by Kenya Kwanza was a desperate political tour disguised as a development one.
Ososti said the event was hurriedly organised at the request of Kenya Kwanza legislators to soften the ground that has increasingly become hostile.
This following what he called their betrayal in the National Assembly, when they unexpectedly supported the "oppressive and punitive law".
“Their last-minute decision to cancel scheduled events in Hamisi, Luanda and Emuhaya is very telling," Osotsi said.
"The brief tour was a mockery of Vihiga people and only succeeded in giving Kenya Kwanza leaders a platform to threaten national leaders and attack the Kenyatta family.”
He said the water project that Ruto purported to have launched is an ongoing project that is 95 per cent complete and was financed by the Belgium government.
This after being sourced by Eugene Wamalwa during the first term of Uhuru Kenyatta's government, Osotsi said.
“It's ridiculous for a President to purport to launch the same project that was launched previously by his predecessor and later commissioned in the last days of Uhuru's government in 2022 by the former Water CS Cecily Kariuki,” he added.
The project is largely complete and what remains is the implementation of the last mile connectivity, an aspect that is to be funded by the county government.
The senator said Vihiga leaders in Kenya Kwanza should apologise to county residents for aiding this "unprecedented conmanship".
He said Kenya Kwanza leaders have often claimed that one of their own is number 3 in the government.
He asked why they would join the chorus of those begging for development if indeed he is useful and powerful in that government.
“They should tell Vihiga people what became of that coalition pact that promised 1,000 km of tarmac roads, revival of collapsed industries, setting up of factories in each of the five counties of the Mulembe nation," he said.
"They must be reminded that people have not forgotten and that written promises cannot be substituted by other fake promises.”
The lawmaker said picketing and peaceful demonstration is a constitutional right and cannot be granted by anyone, including the state.
He said citizens cannot be threatened by Ruto’s government not to engage in peaceful demonstrations, as it is their right which should be exercised freely without unnecessary police involvement and brutality.
He urged the government to stop victimising elected leaders like him because they are carriers of people’s sovereign powers as per article 1 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
The lawmaker said they will continue to stand tall in defence of the rights of the people, particularly his electorate, who will not be intimidated at all.