Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa has been arrested over claims of assaulting a local musician on Friday, July 30, 2021 in Bungoma County.
Barasa was arrested on Monday morning at his Kimilili home and is expected to be arraigned in court later today.
Barasa is expected to be charged with claims of causing bodily harm to local musician Steve Kay.
According to the police, a P3form was filed by the musician following the drama that ensued on Friday at Baptist Lurare Primary School.
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Contractor Steve Kay in hospital. [Photo: Courtesy]
On Friday, trouble began when MP Barasa went to commission classes only to find them locked by the contractors Steve Kay and his colleague Ronald Graham Wafula as they demanded to be paid their balance of Sh3.4 Million.
Masinde and Wafula demanded that the MP first clear the pending Ksh 3.4 million construction bill as a condition for them to unlock the 5 classes.
It is at this point that the clearly angry lawmaker then slapped Steve Kay in the full glare of cameras and journalists who were present to cover the commissioning
“When I call him he abuses me, saying I am disturbing him. I have closed these classes because operations cannot begin before I am paid," Steve Kay said.
The two contractors claimed that the lawmaker had been dodging them whenever they sought him to ask for their payments.
"When we asked the MP to pay us he says that he does not pay contractors half of their money but he pays them full and he will do so and we shouldn’t be worried," Steve Kay told the media on Friday.
The alleged slapping incident elicited massive debate with netizens attacking Barasa and calling for his arrest over the incident.
Following the massive interest on the matter, Didmus came out claiming that he did not slap Steve Kay. According to him, he was only trying to zip his trouser.
"Kwa vile ni rafiki yangu nikaona nikama alienda kujisaidia na alikua hajafunga zip. Mimi naona gari yake ndogo iko ndani hajafunga nikasema wacha nikimbie nimwambie garage yake iko empty funga duka. Sasa wakati nilienda kumuambia hivo akatoroka mbio akafikiria naenda kumpiga," MP Barasa claimed.
Didmus Barasa Released
Kimilili MP Barasa has been arraigned in court on charges of committing grievous bodily harm against a local contractor.
Appearing before Kimilili Law Courts Resident Magistrate Gladys Adhiambo, the legislator denied the charges.
The MP has been released on a bond of Ksh.150,000 with one surety or a cash bail of Ksh.100,000.
