NAIROBI, Kenya- East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member Kanini Kega has claimed that the aborted attempt to abduct him in Nyandarua County on Monday bore the hallmarks of a coordinated operation involving government operatives, a day after recording a statement with police over the incident.
Speaking after visiting Ol Joro Orok Police Station on Tuesday, the former Kieni MP maintained that the attack was not random, saying those behind it intended to kill him.
“They wanted me dead,” Kega said, insisting that the operation appeared to have been carefully planned and executed.
Kega said he had formally recorded a statement with investigators and expressed hope that authorities would conduct an impartial probe into the incident.
The legislator alleges that he was attacked shortly after attending Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) campaign activities in Ol Kalou ahead of Thursday’s parliamentary by-election.
According to Kega, several vehicles carrying armed men pursued his convoy as he travelled toward Ol Joro Orok.
He claimed the armed men, whom he identified as police officers, repeatedly pointed firearms at his vehicle, forcing him to abandon it and flee on foot before taking refuge in a nearby home.
“I managed to escape and take cover,” Kega said, adding that he only survived because he acted quickly.
Videos shared on social media shortly after the incident showed Kega inside a house, saying he had narrowly escaped after his convoy allegedly came under attack.
In one of the videos, he accused President William Ruto’s administration of targeting him, alleging that the attackers intended to eliminate him politically.
The incident has heightened tensions ahead of the July 16 Ol Kalou by-election, which has already witnessed accusations of intimidation, campaign violence and voter bribery from rival political camps.
On Tuesday, Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina also said she and Kirinyaga Senator James Murango were followed by an unidentified vehicle after rushing to assist Kega following reports of the attack.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has announced the deployment of more than 1,000 police officers to provide security during the by-election, assuring residents that the National Police Service is committed to ensuring a peaceful, free and credible poll.