Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi speaking to a police officer at the Ngerenya Administration police station. [Photo/ Amason Kingi/ Facebook]
Police on Tuesday arrested Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi alongside seven MPs from the county.According to Baraka FM, the eight politicians were arrested as they were heading to Ngerenye to distribute food to residents due to the ongoing drought being witnessed in the county.The politicians were taken to Ngerenya Administration police station where they were held for nearly an hour before being released. The Governor was in the company of MPs Owen Baya (Kilifi North), William Kamoti (Rabai), Teddy Mwambire (Ganze), Ken Chonga (Kilifi South), Paul Katana (Kaloleni), Michael Kingi (Magarini), and Kilifi County Women Representative Getrude Mbeyu. The arrest comes at a time when leaders from the county have threatened to push for the secession of the Coast region if the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) does not head to the demands made by NASA.Kingi said he was surprised by the actions of the police officers who prevented them from distributing relief food to starving residents.“I have been very much shocked to see a lorry carrying police officers blocking my way to head to the ground to distribute food to my people,” said Kingi.The county boss, a fierce critic of the Jubilee government, said their arrest is a clear indicator that the national government does not value the lives of Coast residents. “For sure what happened today here is an indication that we are less important to the national government. This should not have happened to an independent nation. We will be here tomorrow to issue the food because the police disrupted the whole issue here today,” he added, as quoted by Baraka FM.His remarks were reiterated by Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire who accused the government of infringing on the rights of Kenyans.“It’s the right for every Kenyan to have access to food and as government, we had come here to give food to our people. This is an indication that we are not one with Kenya and we vow to even concentrate much on the bill to secede from this nation so as our people could get their rights,” he said.On his part, Kilifi County Police coordinator Eisha Ng’etich said the officers were only executing their mandate as political campaigns for Thursday’s repeat poll ended at midnight on Monday.