Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet says the politician will be questioned over the comments which he termed as “hate speech”/COURTESY
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 14 – A parliamentary aspirant captured in a video in which he vowed to lead mass protests if CORD leader Raila Odinga loses next year’s election has been summoned by police.
Jim Ayungo who is eyeing the Ruaraka seat has been ordered to present himself to the nearest police station to record a statement over the remarks.
Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet says the politician will be questioned over the comments which he termed as “hate speech”.
In the video clip that has gone viral since Friday, Ayungo is seen addressing a crowd in what appears to be a political function mainly attended by youths in Ruaraka, but the exact venue is not known.
“He should immediately report to the nearest police station for questioning,” Boinnet said in the directive issued on Monday morning.
But Eliud Owalo who is eying the Kibra seat claims that Ayungo was arrested and is being detained at a police station in Kisumu.
In a Facebook post, Owalo said he had “have received numerous distress calls from ODM supporters from far and wide that one of the party’s strongest aspirants for the Ruaraka parliamentary seat Mr Jim Clement Ayungo has been missing for two days with some reports indicating that he is being held in police custody in Kisumu.”
“I wish to take this early opportunity to strongly condemn the illegal detention of Mr Ayungo by police and call for his immediate and unconditional release.”
Capital FM News could not independently verify the claims and Police Headquarters has denied that Ayungo is being detained at any police station.
His remarks are seen as potential for causing chaos in the country that experienced ethnic violence triggered by a disputed presidential election held in December 2007 when Odinga accused then incumbent President Mwai Kibaki of stealing the vote.
More than 1,000 people were killed and over 600,000 others uprooted from their homes, mainly in the Rift Valley leading to an investigation by the International Criminal Court which sought to nail six Kenyans – including President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto for alleged roles in the mayhem but their charges were later dropped for lack of evidence.
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