The arrest of Emurrua Dikirr MP Johanna Ngeno has irked Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen.
Murkomen on Tuesday defended the embattled Ngeno together with two other Narok MCAs who were arrested for allegedly planning to lead a demonstration against the second phase of Mau evictions which has already started.
Ngeno was arrested alongside Ololulunga ward MCA Jefferson Langat and Philemon Aruasa at a road block based at Melelo, Narok South, where they were expected to address settlers.
While stating that the leaders were on their routine duties as enshrined in the constitution, Murkomen maintained that police officers should handle Kenyans in the right manner.
''There was /is no moral or legal basis for arresting or even charging Hon. Johana Ngeno and the MCAs.They were going about performing their constitutional duties.The police must not abuse their powers.We are a constitutional democracy not a police state or a dictatorship,'' tweeted Murkomen.
Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya while confirming the arrests accused the legislators of trying to remove the roadblocks that had been mounted to monitor the movement of people in the Mau region.
''We don’t want politics in Mau forest, let them address their issues in boardrooms or at press conferences in Nairobi,” Natembeya said.
About 300 police officers have been deployed to the disputed land to ensure there is smooth eviction.