Nairobi, Kenya: Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria was Thursday grilled for hours and later recorded statements with police over allegedly inciting statements he made two weeks ago.
Kuria was summoned by the police at Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters along Kiambu Road following complaints that remarks he made in his constituency amounted to incitement.
Kuria, who accused the media of being biased in the issue, insisted he had no regrets over the remarks he made, adding that he had apologised to those who misunderstood him.
“The truth will set me free because to me what I said was not inciting. I don’t know why the media is biased in this issue,” said Kuria who seemed shaken.
The first-time MP also accused National Cohesion and Integration Commission of being biased in handling similar cases.
“Kaparo (NCIC chairman) should know he is holding a constitutional office and must be fair to all. Some of the MPs have been summoned over such remarks but ignored,” he said.
Kuria met the head of investigations at the DCI Joseph Ngisa who handed him to a junior officer for grilling and statement recording.
CID director Ndegwa Muhoro who was in Naivasha for a meeting said they would review the clip and attach it as an evidence before forwarding the file to the Director of Public Prosecution office for action.
“Our officers are handling the matter for now before the file with recommendations is sent to the DPP soonest possible,” said Muhoro.
Bail cancellation
NCIC had petitioned the DPP and police to launch investigations into Kuria after a clip with the remarks emerged.
DPP Keriako Tobiko moved to court Thursday under a certificate of urgency to seek the cancellation of bail given to Kuria in a previous case of incitement. Tobiko also ordered police to hasten investigation and forward the file for action.
Kuria faces prosecution for his utterances in a video clip encouraging youth to attack with machetes, people who oppose National Youth Service (NYS) projects. He alleged to have told panga-wielding youth in Kiambu two weeks ago to fight those criticising NYS projects.
“These utterances in the opinion of the commission contravenes Section 96 of the Penal Code there by, requiring investigations from your end,” NCIC’s letter to IG Joseph Boinnet and DCI Ndegwa Muhoro reads.
The MP was last year charged with incitement to violence and ethnic hatred but was released on a Sh2 million cash bail.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga led other leaders in condemning Kuria and said the remarks by the MP were unfortunate.
