Nyamira County residents took to social media platforms to demand the immediate release of an outspoken blogger who had been arrested on Saturday night at a Kisii pub.
Mr Wesley Onyinkwa, a staunch critic of the Jubilee government allegedly accused Bonchari MP Zebedayo Opore of orchestrating the burning of Iterio Boys Secondary School in Kisii County on his Facebook page.
And on Monday, the residents accused the MP of ‘targeting’ independent thinkers by using the police to intimidating them instead of following the law.
“We were denied access by the police at Kisii Central police station to see Mr Osiri just because it was an order from above. It is wrong for an MP to use his powers to target independent thinkers like Onyinkwa. This is unacceptable,” said Mr Jared Okinyi.
“As Nyamira residents, we condemn the arbitrary apprehension and torture of our brother Onyinkwa by the police. We demand that he be released without charges and those behind his arrest should not use force in handling critical legal matters,” said Charles Oginda.
Mr Onyinkwa was transferred from Kisii to Nairobi on Sunday before he was released Monday on a Sh20,000 cash bail from the Milimani law courts following efforts by Borabu parliamentary hopeful, Nyandoro Kambi.
“We have secured his release on a cash bail and we are launching a strong defense to counter the allegations. Sometimes the law should be followed in that the accused should not be tortured during arrest. We stand behind the young man and that is a surety,” said Mr. Kambi.
At least five schools from the Gusii region where education CS Fred Matiang’i hails from have been set ablaze and so far no single report has been released to show the causes.
However, Mr Opore who is understandably the complainant, has not expressed his concerns openly and could not respond to text messages and calls from this writer by going to press.