Court bars police from arresting, prosecuting Governor Stephen Sang

Nandi Governor Stephen Sang has obtained court orders barring police from arresting him in connection with the destruction of the Kibwari tea estate in Nandi hills.

In the restraining order granted by Justice S. M. Githinji at the High Court in Eldoret, the Inspector General of Police, Director of Criminal Investigations, Director of Public Prosecution are barred from “charging, prosecuting, arresting, continued harassment, questioning, intimidating and apprehending” Governor Sang.

“The application be served upon the respondents within 14 days,” reads the order, which remains in force pending an inter partes hearing.

The orders were, however, obtained hours after the Governor was apprehended at the Kapsabet Police Station where he had presented himself over the matter.

After 45 minutes of interrogation at the DCI offices in Kapsabet, Sang was whisked away away to the Kisumu Central Police Station for further questioning.

While addressing the media earlier on Monday before recording a statement at the DCI offices, Sang insisted that public property will have to be repossessed from individuals to help benefit the community.

He claims the four-acre piece of land in question was grabbed from the community by multinationals and influential politicians in 2003.

On Friday, the governor led residents in flattening mature tea bushes at the Kibware Tea Plantation using power saws and earth movers.

He said he was acting on complaints from members of the public who decried that the four acres of land reserved for the establishment of public utilities had been grabbed.