www.Kisii.Com: Syndicated news from only reputable sources [Nation, and Standard Newspapers, Kenya Times, KBC, etc.]

Crowd beats up MP over cooperative society

Details

Published on Saturday, 02 June 2007 07:55

Kitutu Chache MP Jimmy Angwenyi was yesterday attacked and injured by a group of his constituents who accused him of scheming to replace a farmers' official.Mr Angwenyi was hit twice on the head and had to be rushed to Marani health centre where he received several stitches.

Speaking at Kisii police station last evening after recording a statement, the Ford People MP said he was flagged down by 10 people about five kilometres from a funeral he had attended moments earlier.He said: "I stopped, given that they are people I know, but I was surprised when they started quarrelling, demanding to know why I was in support of the removal of the Gusii Rural Sacco chairman Stephen Ogamba."

He added: "As I explained to them that it was the Government and farmers' decision that the management committee, having been implicated in the misuse of the sacco, had to be replaced, one of the men hit me from behind and fled." He said he had to restrain his bodyguards from shooting the attacker.

Mr Angwenyi, with a heavily bandaged head, said he told the police that a day earlier he had received an anonymous call to keep off the sacco affairs or be disciplined. Mr Ogamba could not be reached for comment. The attack on the MP comes a week after the Government issued orders for an urgent annual general meeting of the troubled sacco. Commissioner of cooperatives Peter Mathanjuki ordered the Nyanza office to call for the meeting within 14 days. By yesterday, no date had been set.