Kilifi ODM leaders go into hiding following colleagues’ arrests

Malindi

Friday, July 21, 2023

KNA by Emmanuel Masha

A number of influential Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party legislators in Kilifi County have gone into hiding to escape arrest by police officers bent on ensuring no anti-government protests take place in the coastal county.

Following the arrest of Kilifi South Member of Parliament Ken Chonga and County Assembly Speaker Teddy Mwambire, most of the vocal leaders led by Senator Stewart Madzayo and Malindi MP Amina Munyazi have become fugitives.

They have switched their phones off, with Munyazi resorting to speaking through social media condemning the action of police, who she accused of hunting down leaders, including herself.

“There are police officers everywhere looking for none other person than Amina Munyazi,” she said in a viral self-recorded (selfie) video taken at an undisclosed location.

Senator Madzayo, who is the Senate Minority Leader, however appeared at a Malindi hotel last evening where he addressed journalists before being driven swiftly out of the hotel, heading to an unknown place.

“This is a sad day…and many sadder days ahead of us because we have regressed to the dark days of the Moi era when whenever a Kenyan wanted to speak, he had to look behind his shoulders to see whether someone else was listening,” a subdued Madzayo said.

Madzayo castigated the government for what he termed as high-handedness in dealing with dissenting voices, claiming that Parliament is no longer independent as the Executive forces fearful legislators to pass punitive laws.

“Parliament has been gagged. Bills are being forced on Kenyans. There is absolutely no substantive debate that takes place in Parliament. I’ve seen members of Parliament actually behaving like robots; they are told what to do by State House,” he claimed.

He urged the government to let Kenyans speak their minds as enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution, noting that the unprecedented police presence in all major towns was instilling fear in Kenyans.

“Legislators are so scared. Unless you are on the other side of the coin…or the majority, that’s where you can speak; but if you are in the opposition, you cannot speak your mind. I have never seen this,” he said.

Mr Madzayo also castigated the Judiciary for denying Mr Chonga and Mr Mwambire bail, yet, he claimed, the charges facing them were misdemeanors forwhich even personal bonds or cash bails could be granted.

On Thursday, police officers manned all entry and exit routes to and from Malindi town, stopping all vehicles and searching them, forcing the leaders to use panya routes in a bid to evade arrests.

Meanwhile Outspoken Malindi Bishop Thomas Kakala said the government was right in stopping the protests, noting that the demonstrations had caused more pain that the relief they are seeking to achieve.

Bishop Kakala, who is also the chairman of the Kilifi House of Bishops, however called on President William Ruto and opposition Chief Raila Odinga to talk to each other in order to stop the violence.

The cleric, who said he was speaking on his own behalf and not on behalf of the other bishops, called for the enactment of a law that forces organizers of demonstrations to take full responsibility of the effects of such protests, including paying for damages and losses incurred during the demos.

Courtesy ; K. N. A