Police have no moral or legal authority to continue holding Emurua Dikir MP Johanna Ng'eno, Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has said.
The second term MP was arrested on Tuesday along with two MCAs after protesting against eviction of people from Mau forest following an order by government.
Until now, they remain locked by the police and could face charges on Wednesday in court over sabotage, despite pressure to have them released.
Confirming the arrests, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya declared the area a no-go- zone for politicians.
“We don’t want politics in Mau forest, let them address their issues in boardrooms or at press conferences in Nairobi,” Natembeya told The Standard on phone.
But Murkomen has accused the police officers of violating basic constitutional rights, arguing that the three did nothing wrong while protesting against evictions.
He warned that Kenya is not a police state where police abuse their powers by harassing people executing their constitutional mandate.
"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," he said.
Earlier, Murkomen was filmed exchanging harshly with a Kenya Forestry Service officer in Mau, accusing the officers of using force to flush out people.
In a directive on Tuesday, the government seemed to give in to the demands of the leaders. Schools that had been closed down will now reopen for the next two months.