The missing aide, Bethwell Chesire.
An aide to Marakwet East MP Bowen Kangogo was abducted a week ago and is
still missing, sparking protests from the MP and family members.
Kangogo is asking the government to produce the aide even as he linked his abduction to the ongoing security operation against banditry in Kerio Valley.
He identified the missing aide as Bethwel
Chesire.
“He is a well-known person who also works in my
office,” said Kangogo.
The MP first brought the matter to light last
Saturday during a women's empowerment event at Sitotwo in Elgeyo Marakwet, where
DP Kithure Kindiki and Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen were present.
Kangogo complained that the missing man, who
worked in his office, had been abducted just outside the Sitotwo Secondary
School where the empowerment event was taking place.
“We support the ongoing operation against
criminals in Kerio Valley, but there are some innocent people who have been
caught up in the situation, and one of them is my employee who was abducted and
is missing,” said Kangogo.
He said the security operation should target
the criminals and not innocent people.
“As we speak, there is a family that is in
tears because one of them was abducted and has gone missing,” said Kangogo.
He said security officers should thoroughly
investigate those involved in banditry and bring them to book, but innocent
people should be spared.
Kindiki responded to the MP’s sentiments,
saying security matters should not be politicised in any way, but police
officers should also not target innocent people.
“We have to firmly deal with those bandits and
get rid of all of them, but we ask security teams not to harass innocent people
in the process,” said Kindiki.
Kindiki said it was not clear who abducted the
missing person, but police would handle the issue.
The family of Chesire was working with
a lawyer to file a court case demanding that the government produce Chesire in
court.
The lawyer was working to have the matter
filed at the court in Eldoret.
The government has intensified the security
operation in Kerio Valley to rid the region of bandits, and Kindiki said he was
confident that CS Murkomen would handle the situation effectively.
“We will not relent until our people in that
region live peacefully,” said Kindiki.
