The arrest of Mombasa Jubilee politician Mohammed ‘Tenge’ Salim on Tuesday took a political turn after claims emerged that it was linked to woes facing Deputy President William Ruto.
Nyali MP Mohammed Ali claimed the arrest was instigated the moment he mentioned that the food he donated at Kikambala in Kilifi county came from Ruto.
Both Tenge and Ali are DP Ruto’s allies.
“Tenge has been distributing food to the vulnerable all along. He has even fed police officers manning various roadblocks during this coronavirus pandemic.”
“All of a sudden they arrest him over social distancing after revealing the food he distributed came from the Deputy President? We are not fools,” Ali said at the Kijipwa police station on Tuesday.
Tenge surrendered himself to police at the Mtwapa police station where they admitted they had been looking for him.
Kilifi South subcounty police commander Mohamed Wako said Tenge was being sought because he contravened curfew and social distancing protocols.
“It is true he was at our offices but he was released on bond,” Wako said.
Tenge, Ali and Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid, however, complained about what they called deliberate frustration after Mtwapa police station claimed they had run out of bail receipts.
This forced them to be taken to Kijipwa police station, about 50km away, to have his Sh20,000 bail processed.
Journalists were barred from entering the station.
Tenge said different teams of police officers trailed him for hours on Monday, sparking fear among his family members.
“They were at my house in Majengo, Mombasa at around 7pm. They came with around six vehicles and surrounded my house. My children almost broke their legs trying to run away because they were confused and scared,” Tenge said at the station.
They did not find him.
They returned to the house at around 3am Tuesday and later at around 6am.
Khalid said Tenge is a public figure and it was a waste of public resources to use six vehicles three times a night to look for him.
“They could have just called and summoned him to the police station. It is not that Tenge is a flight risk. He has been working with the government well before,” Khalid said.
Ali said contravening social distancing rules does not warrant the drama that Tenge was subjected to.
“We know this is because of DP Ruto,” the lawmaker said.
“When the food was being distributed it was all healthy and okay. Social distancing was observed. But when Ruto’s name was mentioned, suddenly there was no social distancing and the food suddenly had cocaine or other toxins.”
Tenge was set to be charged at the Shanzu law courts with contravening social distancing rules.
Edited by R.Wamochie
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