NAIROBI, Kenya – National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has ordered an urgent parliamentary investigation into the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of Juja MP George Koimburi, as growing unease over the safety of lawmakers takes centre stage in Parliament.
Koimburi, who was reported missing on Sunday, was found alive on Monday in a coffee plantation under unclear circumstances.
He is currently hospitalized in Nairobi, but details surrounding his ordeal remain murky.
Speaking in the House on Tuesday afternoon, Wetang’ula directed the Chairperson of the National Assembly’s Security Committee to liaise with the Inspector General of Police and other agencies to establish the facts and deliver preliminary findings without delay.
“I have this morning instructed the Chair of the Committee on Security… to liaise with the IG and other security agencies… so that they can be able to get at least some preliminary findings,” said Wetang’ula.
Adding to the mystery, the Speaker told MPs that hospital authorities—acting on the family’s instructions—have barred access to all visitors, including detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“They are not allowing visitors, including officers from DCI who wanted to find out what may have happened,” Wetang’ula said.
He further instructed the committee chair and other members to visit their colleague and brief the House on his condition.
The Speaker, however, warned that Koimburi’s case must not be viewed in isolation.
He linked it to last week’s fatal shooting of Ong’ondo Were in Nairobi, saying the events point to a worrying trend and called for a broader investigation into the security of public officials.
“These are not just isolated incidents. I encourage security agencies to also investigate the circumstances leading to the disappearance and reappearance of Hon. Koimburi,” he said.
In a pointed reminder, Wetang’ula urged MPs to take their personal safety seriously amid what some lawmakers have privately described as a climate of growing political intimidation and insecurity.
“Be conscious of your surroundings and the people you associate with… so that your security is not compromised,” he advised.
