NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 17 – Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama and Belgut MP Nelson Koech were on Wednesday freed after spending a night in custody following arrest during the Msambweni by-election.
The two politicians were released on a Sh30,000 police bond, with no charge prefered against them.
Police had indicated that they were arrested for inciting violence during the Tuesday by-election won by Independent candidate Feisal Bader whom they were campaigning for.
“I have not recorded any statement with police. I do not know why I was arrested,” the Belgut MP told journalists
Deputy President William Ruto’s preferred candidater Bader trounced the rest after he garnered 15,251 votes against Omar Boga of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party who managed 10,444.
Former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama said the win has a lot of significance on how the major political contests will end in future, in apparent referene to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
“ODM leader Raila Odinga had said it is a litmus test to the Building Bridges Initiative and certainly it was,” said Muthama who ditched Raila for Ruto.
Kwale Deputy Governor Fatuma Achani has called for unity after the tightly contested by-election.
“We condemn what we saw but now we must move forward and serve the people,” she said.
Nyeri Member of Parliament Ngunjiri Wambugu, an influential member of the Kieleweke faction of Jubilee Party said “we have learned our lesson from the loss.”
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