National

We won't be intimidated into silence, Keter says after dramatic arrest

A screen grab shows former Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter being taken by police officers outside Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Nairobi on June 30, 2024.

By Maureen Kinyanjui | Monday, July 1, 2024

The former Nandi Hills MP termed his arrest on Sunday a move to gag Kenyans who boldly criticise President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza government.

Former Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter has told off the government for intimidating him for raising concerns about the key issues the country is facing, key among them a debt crisis.

Addressing the media on Monday after appearing at the headquarters of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Keter termed his dramatic arrest on Sunday a move to gag Kenyans who boldly criticise President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza government.

Keep reading

"Don't intimidate us into silence. We know the issue is all about the concerns being raised by Kenyans on the Finance Bill, the cost of living and the many promises they made [sic]," he said. "We did not make them make those promises ... the problem with them is that they always lie. We are not the problem."

The former MP also claimed that while being grilled by the DCI, former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua were mentioned.

"They asked me about my relationship with Uhuru Kenyatta and the current deputy president, and issues to do with arms from Congo," he said.

Lawyer and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who had accompanied Keter, condemned how he was arrested - with his family watching and screaming for help.

The former lawmaker was taken while leaving a church event in Kileleshwa, Nairobi. He was booked at the Kamukunji Police Station and later released pending forensic analysis of exhibits. The file is to be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for direction.

Keter was released later that day, following the intervention by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo and other leaders.

Sifuna further claimed that the government continues to operate police hit squads indicated by the abduction of several people who are still missing.

"As Azimio we are aware that very many Kenyans are still missing. When we asked the DCI officers, they told us they were not the ones who had taken these people. Despite promises made during campaigns, they're still maintaining police hit squads - people who are not even known to the police ... they're the ones conducting these abductions."

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition is the opposition party led by Raila Odinga, who is also the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Sifuna urged the DCI to stop treating people like criminals during arrests.

"If they need us, we will come the same way we have brought ourselves here on time every single time [sic]. We are not criminals. We will not accept to be treated as criminals," he said.

In an interview at the State House in Nairobi on Sunday night, President Ruto, asked about reports of at least 39 abductions during the anti-tax protests, said police arrests cannot be classified as such and that the people in question likely ignored summonses issued to them.

Records show that at least 39 people were taken from various locations by people believed to be police officers, held for hours for unknown reasons, and released without formal charges or court appearances.

The head of state reaffirmed that he would not interfere with security agencies, in line with a commitment he made when he assumed office—to ensure the National Police Service works independently.