NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 17 – Pokot South Member of Parliament David Pkosing now says he will not be intimidated following his arrest by the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over bandit attacks in Northern Kenya.
Moments after his release Thursday night, the legislator revealed that he was grilled over reports that he posted bond for seven young Pokot boys, who according to him the police consider bandits.
“People from Pokot Community are not criminal and we cannot bring peace by intimidating leaders. If there is anyone who thought I will be intimidated so that I don’t talk about the welfare of Pokot Community,” he stated.
“I want to tell them that I will never stop speaking about our people who are suffering.”
The Pokot South Legislator was released Thursday at 10:30pm defending himself by saying he posted their bond upon their release as they come from his community and he knew they had been wrongly arrested in the first place.
Pkosing mentioned that the young boys were actually the owners of over 200 heads of cattle that had just been killed by bandits and were arrested while looking for the cattle.
“I’m shocked that I was arrested because of claims that I paid bond for children who were very poor. I have never met them and I don’t even know the children. What I know is they are innocent and that is why the court in Kitale found it fit to give them bond,” Pkosing added.
Pkosing was apprehended at around 5pm at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) before being driven to DCI Headquarters along Kiambu Road.
The legislator is being interrogated by the DCI Serious Crimes Unit on allegations of financing bandit activities in the restive North Rift region.
Sources at DCI indicated the lawmaker who was joined by Sigor MP Peter Lochakapon, Titus Lote (Pokot North), West Pokot Women Representative Rael Aleitum and Senator Julius Murgor, had declined to record a statement.
His arrest comes four days after President William Ruto ordered an operation to flush out the bandits who continue to wreak havoc in the Kerio Valley belt of West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo and Turkana counties.
