NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 16 – Pangani Police Station has become the centre of activity for the past 48 hours after lawmakers were detained there in an ongoing hate speech probe.
On Wednesday morning, Esther Muthama arrived at the police station at 6am oblivious of the fact that she may not be able to see her brother, Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama.
“I left this place at 2am last night and by 6am, I was here,” a teary Esther told Capital FM News.
It is only the spouses, security detail and lawyers to the six CORD and Jubilee lawmakers who were given access to the cells, while the rest – Esther included – waited outside the police station, metres away from their loved ones.
“The condition of that place is horrible and no one is being allowed to give them anything, not even food or something to keep them warm,” a visibly angry Esther said.
After pausing for a few minutes, “they are just the way they were after Milimani (Courts). They have not even changed clothes,” she added.
To her, ‘special treatment’ should be given to the six legislators since, “they are leaders and they belong to people. They must be taken care of.”
Since Monday, Muthama’s family and that of other leaders have been preparing special food for them but ended taking it back home.
An aide to one of the leaders confirmed to Capital FM News that they are using one cell with other suspects of various crimes.
“Hawa watu ni bure kabisa (These people are fake), they have put them in there with other suspects,” the aide said.
He however pointed out that “the (rival) leaders have been talking. You see, they are in one cell, so they have to talk.”
Another relative of one of the Jubilee leaders shared Esther’s sentiments, saying, “The leaders need to be taken care of.”
The relatives displayed a rare sense of unity; the purpose being to ‘secure’ the freedom of the leaders.
Their bodyguards were seen taking tea and bread inside the expensive cars of their bosses, a luxury that the legislators cannot afford, in their current state.
“I have to be here though my boss is locked inside there,” one of the bodyguards said.
CORD leaders Raila Odinga, Moses Wetangula and Kalonzo Musyoka, who visited the station were not spared either. They left without seeing the leaders.
