Just a day after President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua concluded a three-day tour of the Central region, Jubilee party leaders have claimed that they are being intimated for opposing the government programmes.
Murang’a party chairperson Daniel Mubea claimed he was picked up by police officers at Kabati along the Thika Kenol Highway on Thursday as he was heading to Makenji where the president was scheduled to commission an affordable housing project.
Mubea narrated how he was whisked off his vehicle and bundled into a police vehicle where he was questioned on whether he intended to heckle the president.
“They put me in the boot of a car and my foot got injured,” Mubea said adding that immediately he got to Kenol police station, he took a photo of himself and alerted other party officials that he had been arrested.
Mubea claimed his crime was posting a message on a WhatsApp group.
“Na leo asipromise kitu ingine. May he first deliver what he promised already as Nguthuru-Gatumbu road and many other promises,” a text message seen by The Star, and which was posted on Kandara Politics WhatsApp group read.
The chairperson claimed there was a deliberate attempt to intimidate any digressing views, adding that the party would not be intimidated.
However, Murang'a South subcounty police commander Jane Nyakeruma who spoke to The Star on phone said she was unaware of the arrests.
"I didn't know any of the leaders was arrested and neither did I know if five boda boda riders were also arrested," she told the Star.
Mubea claimed the party’s organizing secretary in Maragua constituency Thairu Ng’endo and five boda boda operators were also arrested and released.
Ng’endo on his part said he was arrested near Maragua town as he headed to Gakoigo where the President was to commission the Maragua Bulk Water project on the same day.
“I was going there as a Maragua resident and when I asked why I was being arrested, they told me they knew I had plans to heckle the President,” he said.
Jubilee party secretary general Jeremiah Kioni who visited the county party officials condemned the arrests.
“Some of these projects are being commissioned for the third time,” Kioni claimed.
Kioni further challenged the government to shut down manufacturers of second generation brews that are blamed for turning local youths into zombies.
“Let them deal with the producers and these drinks will be wiped off the market instead of closing bars and killing local economies,” he said.