KEY POINTS
Former Laikipia North Member of Parliament was arraigned at Milimani Law Courts on Thursday and charged with hate speech.
Mathew Lempurkel was arraigned in court after spending the night in police custody.
Lempurkel was arrested on Wednesday by DCI detectives at his home in Rongai Kajiado county in relation to the on going clashes in Laikipia west constituency.
According to the charge sheet, Lempurkel is accused of making inciting remarks between July 11th and 17th this year during a TV show aired by Maa TV.
Lempurkulel is said to have termed one of the communities in the county as people whose feet are infested with jiggers.
“All conservancies and ranches within Laikipia belong to the Maa community and that the investors may keep the land but the grass on those lands belong to the Maa community,” Lempurkulel further said in his remarks.
The remarks are believed to have contributed to the ongoing skirmishes in Laikipia that have claimed lives and led to the displacement of hundreds others.
He however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Tiaty MP William Kamket was also arrested over allegations of incitement that have led the clashes.
Kamket was arrested on Wednesaday after detectives raided his home in Baringo County.
Rift valley regional commander George Natembeya on Wednesday said that 8 people including three police officers have been killed since the clashes began.
Natembeya said that the deaths occurred before a security operation began in the area.
He accused the politicians of being behind the clashes saying that they were providing youths with food and guns to continue with the violence.
“When they go to Nairobi they pretend to be good people but on the ground, they are the ones who are funding the violence. A time has come for them to stop shading those crocodile tears,” he said.
RELATED STORY: Banditry Latest: Laikipia Governor Survives Attack, Blames Scared Police For ‘Only Firing In The Air’
