Mount Elgon MP Fred Kapondi has threatened to take legal action against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over allegations linking him to the killing of former Councillor Nathan Wasama.
Wasama, 61, was shot dead on the night of Saturday night, August 8, at his shop in Tuikut Trading Centre, Cheptais, Bungoma County.
Speaking on Wednesday, August 12, Gachagua claimed that following his public disclosure of the matter, security officers went to Kapondi’s residence and recovered 18 guns and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition.
"In Mount Elgon, they had killed someone there (Wasama) who wanted the parliamentary seat. When I announced it, the pressure became intense; last night they went to the area MP Fred Kapondi's place and found 18 guns and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition," he claimed.
Now, Kapondi has rejected Gachagua’s allegations and said he would pursue legal action, insisting that the former Deputy President must provide evidence to support his claims.
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"I will sue him because he is not above the law. The way he has been spreading his nonsense and very wild allegations, I will not let him go; I will take legal action. He must come and explain where these 18 guns are," he said in a presser on Thursday, August 13.
Kapondi also questioned why investigators handling the matter had not publicly challenged Gachagua’s claims, arguing that the allegations should not have been made without clarification from authorities.
"How can the investigators conducting the investigation allow the former Deputy President to make wild allegations without them refuting them?" he posed.
Following the shooting, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) followed leads and arrested Oscar Koech Sakong, one of the suspects linked to the murder.
On Tuesday, August 11, detectives raided a residence in Marigo Village, Cheptais, and arrested two additional suspects, Wycliffe Chesubei Ngeiwa, alias Chota, and Geoffrey Makwere Masai.
"The operation also yielded a haul of items including a military-style smoke jacket, a stun grenade, three axes, a crowbar, three folding pangas, two pangas, two knives, five arrows, three motorcycles, two mobile phones and an iPod," the DCI stated.
Come Wednesday, August 12, two suspects who were on the run following the murder surrendered themselves to the police.
In a statement the DCI said Robert Kimutai Psisei alias Robert Miti and Brian Chongin Kaos surrendered themselves at Cheptais and Chwele Police Stations, respectively.
The two were arrested and booked ahead of processing to appear in court.
The DCI confirmed that the two will be charged with murder, contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code.
