State House has supported a directive by Keriako Tobiko that MP Alfred Keter be investigated after he was secretly filmed insulting public servants and invoking the President’s name.
Presidential spokesman Manoah Esipisu said: “In appearing to intimidate the public officers, Mr Keter makes a number of claims about other public and State officers at State House, Nairobi. These claims are untrue and amount to nothing more than name-dropping.”
Nandi Hills MP Keter stormed the Gilgil Weighbridge in the company of URP Nominated MP Sunjeev Birdi to demand the release of a truck detained for lack of a permit.
The duo allegedly demanded that officers from the Police Service and Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) release the truck.
The truck is owned by Birdi and was impounded because it had no permit to carry wide load on Kenyan roads.
Nakuru County Commander John Koki confirmed the incident but said it was a KeNHA not a police matter.
According to the SGS deputy officer in charge of the weighbridge, Edward Fondo, heavy equipment requires an exception permit from KeNHA.
Fondo said that after the truck, which was ferrying heavy equipment, including a crane, was inspected, it emerged that the driver had no permit.
The driver called the MP, who had just attended the Jubilee Alliance retreat in Naivasha, and he arrived at the station breathing fire.
Director of Public Prosecutions Tobiko has asked the police to summon the two MPs and ordered that the police present an investigation file on the issue within a week for action.
The DPP made his directives after video footage emerged on social media in which Keter was captured insulting the police, KeNHA officials and private contractors who man the weighbridge, for detaining the lorry.
The two MPs claimed that President Uhuru Kenyatta, Comptroller of State Houses Lawrence Lenayapa, Rift Valley Regional County Commissioner Osman Warfa and chairman of Parliament’s Administration and National Security Committee Asman Kamama and others wanted the truck released.
“When State House Comptroller calls that is the President communicating. Ten MPs have called and you can’t answer the call. Who are you waiting to hear from? God?
“Let me tell you, we are the government. We are the ones who legislate for this country. And we can break the law when we want.”
A voice is heard telling the two MPs that their role is to enforce the law and that is why the government has deployed them to man the weighbridge.
To which Keter retorts: “Okay, we shall then reverse the law”.
And then he threatens to go back to Nairobi to ensure the officers are sacked.
“I am going to meet the President himself to make sure you people leave here.”
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale disowned the two MPs yesterday and supported the DPP’s order for investigations.
“The Government does not condone corruption, coercion or intimidation in the name of State House or President Uhuru Kenyatta. The relevant institutions should take action on any misconduct involving any of our members,” Duale said.
Keter recorded a statement on Sunday at the CID headquarters. He told Press that the officials had asked for a Sh20,000 bribe to release the truck. The driver also claimed they were asked for a bribe by the officials.
- the-star.co.ke
