The UDA and Kitui East legislator was arrested in Mavoko, a day after the video went viral on social media. In the video, the legislator is seen slapping the power firm’s staff who accused him of illegal power connection at his Kitengela residence.
According to the police Occurrence Book (OB) records, the MP was held at Kitengela Police Station. He is scheduled to be arraigned at Kajiado Law Courts on charges of assault.
Kenya Power employees protested and reported the assault to the police, demanding to know if the MP had been apprehended. Police informed them that he had been arrested and also presented in court in Kajiado.
“Today at around 0830hrs, a group of Kenya Power employees numbering about 30 from Kitengela Branch held protests starting from their offices in EPZ, to Kitengela Police Station. The protests were against an MP who assaulted one of them on July 3, 2023,” the OB report reads.
It was reported that the MP surrendered himself to the police. A raid was then conducted at his Kitengela home where power cables and a meter box were recovered. Kenya Power, in a surprising twist, claimed these items were used for illegal connection to the national grid.
The arrest and subsequent search were done after the assaulted Kenya Power staff reported the incident at Kitengela Police Station. Benjamin Ndebai, the Isinya Sub-County Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss, then directed his team to launch investigations.
In the video capturing the incident, the MP complained about the disconnection at his home. He argued that Kenya Power was violating President William Ruto’s directives. Mbai however justified his actions by stating that residents in the area had been without power for years until he intervened.
Kenya Power now maintains they will continue with the disconnection due to safety concerns. They further added they would also remove the entire power line as it posed a risk to the occupants of the house.
