'Surrender before we find you!’ Bungoma County Commissioner tells MP Didmus Barasa

Bungoma County Commissioner Samuel Kimiti has now urged embattled Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa to surrender before the police following an incident where he allegedly shot and killed his opponent’s bodyguard.

Mr. Kimiti, speaking to Citizen TV on Tuesday night, said the MP had gone into hiding soon after the incident, further urging him to also surrender his firearm.

The County Commissioner seemingly intimated to the legislator to avoid the drama that would surround his arrest should the police nab him after presumably subjecting them to a cat-and-mouse game.

“We have ordered the police to hunt for the MP, because after he did that he just disappeared and the police are now pursuing him. But we’re telling him to surrender himself before we get a hold of him. This young man died, not because of his own fault, but because of the mistake of a leader,” said Mr. Kimiti.

“We’re telling him to surrender himself and also surrender the firearm because the ammunition is not supposed to be used to cause harm to other people. That is a misuse of a firearm, and therefore we will also confiscate it.”

The County Commissioner also urged Bungoma residents to aid the police with any information leading to Barasa’s arrest, however cautioning them against taking action on their own.

He sought to assure the residents of peace and calm as vote counting continues, saying the security forces will do everything in its power to avoid a similar incident.

“I want to appeal to the people of Bungoma to hold themselves because the government is following up on this case. We’re going to make sure that the culprit is arrested as soon as possible,” he said.

“I want to plead with them to keep peace because nobody wanted a loss of life, but because it has happened, the only thing we can do is cooperate. And I want to appeal to anybody who may be having information as to where the culprit is to share with us so that we can go there and arrest him.”

Barasa, according to a police report seen by Citizen Digital, allegedly shot dead the bodyguard of the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K) candidate Brian Khaemba, since identified as Brian Olunga.

Leaders allied to DAP-K, led by Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa, called for Barasa’s arrest following the Tuesday incident.

“We have learnt sadly this evening that doctors were unable to save his life and he has passed on. We’re here to demand that Didmus Barasa be arrested,” said CS Wamalwa during an earlier press address.

Mr. Khaemba, who was seeking to unseat Barasa from the Kimilili MP seat on a DAP-K ticket, reportedly went to Chebukwabi polling station at around 6pm to witness counting of the votes.

He however met the incumbent legislator at the polling station and they got into a bit of a scuffle, hence he hence decided to leave barely a few minutes after his arrival.

Mr. Khaemba headed towards his car but “Didmus Barasa followed him in company of four men and ordered them not to allow him (Mr. Brian Khaemba) to leave…”

The aspiring MP’s driver, one Joshua Nasokho, is however said to have defied Barasa’s order and ignited the vehicle.

“Didmus Barasa withdrew a pistol and aimed at Mr Khaemba's aide namely Brian Olunga and shot him on the forehead where he profusely bled,” read the police report.

“He was rushed to Kimilili Sub-County Hospital where he succumbed while undergoing treatment. Scene visited by the police accompanied by Scenes of Crime Personnel from Bungoma County, where the scene was processed and documented.”