Police Deny Arresting Governor Kawira Mwangaza [VIDEO]
Mwangaza was distributing cows in Central Imenti under her Okolea programme which she fronted to uplift poor families.
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![Police Deny Arresting Governor Kawira Mwangaza [VIDEO]](https://viraltea.co.ke/uploads/images/2023/10/image_750x_652fcc1abf68a.jpg)
Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza was not arrested, police have now revealed.
In a statement, the National Police Service (NPS) dismissed reports that its officers arrested the county boss on Wednesday, October 18 in Meru.
Mwangaza was distributing cows in Central Imenti under her Okolea programme which she fronted to uplift poor families when she claimed that she was arrested.
A police officer salutes Meru Governor, Kawira Mwangaza while inside a police vehicle on October 18, 2023. /KAWIRA MWANGAZA
"Contrary to the false allegations circulating on social media, the National Police Service wishes to clarify, that the Police have not arrested Meru Governor, Hon. Kawira Mwangaza," stated NPS.
Mwangaza on her part happily posted on her Facebook account saying "Finally, I'm free. I thank God I'm safe, OCS has apologised akasema (and he has said) sorry."
She further shared a video of an officer apologising for arresting her, saying that it was a case of mistaken identity.
Earlier, an officer in charge had an argument with Mwangaza saying the governor got into the police van by herself, despite Mwangaza insisting that she was placed under arrest.
"Why were you arresting me when I told you this is not an Okolea programme? You are the one who ordered me to get in the police van," Mwangaza fired at the police boss, demanding an apology from him, to which he obliged.
The saga also drew the attention of Public Service Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria who wrote "It is wrong to harass Governor Kawira Mwangaza in exactly the same way the other government was harassing some of us" on X (formerly Twitter).
Mwangaza was earlier embroiled in a standoff with police at Ruiga Village, Imenti Central Constituency after the officers showed up at a homestead where she was donating a cow ostensibly under her 'Okolea' outreach program that was recently banned by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki.
According to the neighbours, Kawira confronted the police demanding to know who had sent them to the homestead before she went ahead to get into the police Land Cruiser.
Police on the ground on their part claimed that she stage-managed the whole event by swiftly getting into the police vehicle to fake an arrest and propagating images taken of her in the vehicle on her Facebook page.
"This initiative, funded by the County Government of Meru and approved by the County Assembly of Meru, aims to uplift the lives of the less fortunate. Unfortunately, law enforcement personnel were dispatched to interfere with the implementation of this program.
"It is disheartening to witness needless curtailment of development efforts meant to benefit the vulnerable in our community," she stated.
Kindiki had banned the Okelea meetings on September 22, citing clashes that had been witnessed in the meetings.
“Reports that have reached me is that the governor’s (Mwangaza) allies were inciteful, disrupted peace and assaulted journalists thinking they were defending Meru governor. The targeted people also broke the law,” Kindiki directed then.
“We have banned meetings that incite people. This is final. We are not going to allow it. If you think it is a joke, try it. Don’t try me.”
