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Six arrested over attack on Angwenyi

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Published on Saturday, 02 June 2007 07:57

Kisii police have arrested six suspects in connection with the attack on Kitutu Chache MP Jimmy Angwenyi on Monday evening. Local police chief Julius Mwakule said the suspects were among those named by the MP, but added that some had gone underground. Mr Mwakule said the hunt was on for the rest of the suspects. The action triggered tension between the MP’s supporters and the suspects. Police were still patrolling the area.

Mr Angwenyi was clobbered by a group of his constituents on Monday evening soon after he attended a burial in the constituency. He said he was flagged down by about 10 men who demanded to know why he was plotting to have the giant farmers’ union chairman Stephen Ogamba replaced. Mr Angwenyi claimed yesterday that his attack was aimed at eliminating him for questioning shoddy deals in the farmers’ sacco.

Scores of Kisii leaders, led by mayor Samuel Nyangeso, condemned the attack, saying they fully supported his campaign for better management of the sacco. Tension has been high in the sacco from when the commissioner of cooperatives dismissed the management committee after members were implicated in questionable financial deals. But the committee has gone to court to bar the commissioner from calling any meeting to discuss the sacco.

The commissioner had directed the Nyanza provincial cooperatives officer to call the meeting in 14 days from March 25, but no date had been set by yesterday. Mr Ogamba yesterday exonerated himself from blame and accused Mr Angwenyi of having a vendetta against him.