Didmus Barasa to spend weekend in police cell after surrendering himself
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has been arrested by the police at the Bungoma Police Station after presenting himself to the police in relation to murder charges.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji on Friday said it deferred charges against the MP in order to allow homicide detectives to complete investigations.
The MP-elect has been hiding since Tuesday following confrontation at his constituency leading to the fatal shooting of an aide of his main opponent Brian Khaemba of DAP-K Party. Mr Barasa will be arraigned in court on Monday.
The Directorate of the Criminal Investigations had issued a warrant of arrest to the MP for the murder of Brian Olunga.
“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations is warning Hon Didmus Barasa, who has since gone into hiding after the brutal murder of one Brian Olunga, to surrender to the nearest police station within the next six hours,” DCI said.
According to the police, the MP shot and killed Mr Olunga at Chebukwabi in Kimilili, Bungoma County.
While addressing the press at the police station, the MP said that he would also like to know who killed Brian Olunga.
“I’m ready to cooperate with the police so that I also know what killed that young man,” Barasa said.
He alleged that he was missing since he traveled to Nairobi to get an anticipatory bail after being informed about the warrant of arrest.
The MP also claimed that on Sunday evening he and one of his bodyguards was attacked by people who he alleges were hired by one of his opponents. He said the matter was reported to the police.
“There were other people with guns as well, including my competitor and police officers who was manning the polling station. We will also be making an application that all firearms that were there be subjected to forensic investigations,” he said.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati said the electoral officers who were at the scene of the incident will appear in court as witnesses.
Following the incident, his DAP-K Party rival Mr Brian Khaemba has promised to move to court to challenge Mr Barasa’s win.
“IEBC has gone ahead to finalise the results and declare the winner, but I’ll be in court to challenge that. Nobody is above the law,” Khaemba said.
He assured his supporters that the battle is still on, and that IEBC officers who witnessed the incident can stand as his witness before the court.