Dont blame me for your arrests, Nkaissery to detained legislators

Dont blame me for your arrests, Nkaissery to detained legislators

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery has distanced himself from the arrest of eight legislators over allegations of hate speech and incitement to violence.

Speaking in Kajiado on Monday, Nkaissery said that he does not have the powers to arrest anyone though saying the arrests and detentions were warranted owing to the allegations leveled against the legislators.

“Political leaders are out saying I have dictatorial tendencies and that I orchestrated the arrest of the eight legislators. They should know I do not have the powers to arrest anyone because that is the work of the law, but the arrests of the legislators were warranted.”

“You must be ready to take responsibility for your utterances, and this does not just apply to political leaders but all Kenyans. If this is what dictatorship mean, then we will not relent,” he said.

He, however, restated that anyone who issues inciting messages would be arrested noting that hate speech is a criminal offence according to the Kenyan law.

Nkaissery’s statement came just days after CORD claimed that the arrest of its legislators was unlawful threatening to hold protests to force their release.

The legislators were, however, released on Friday, just two days before CORD’s rally in Machakos aimed at praying for the detained legislators.

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Joseph Nkaissery

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