Kitutu Chache South Member of Parliament (MP) Anthony Kibagendi brought Kisii town to a standstill after being freed by the Narok Law Courts.

His constituents turned out in large numbers in Kisii town to welcome the MP, who has in recent times been critical of the state over the running of its affairs.

Residents lined the roadside as the MP’s motorcade snaked through the town entrance, with Kibagendi acknowledging their greetings.

In his usual energetic style, the MP rose through his car’s sunroof to address the large crowd of supporters who braved the afternoon sun to witness his return.

This followed his dramatic arrest in Nairobi, after which he was driven to Kisii and spent a night at Keroka Police Station before being presented at the Narok Law Courts, where he was freed on a Ksh100,000 bail..

The MP later took to his social media pages to thank his constituents for turning out in large numbers to welcome him back home.

Omogeni defending Kibagendi

Elsewhere, Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni has come out to slam the state over the  dramatic arrest of the MP, terming it as a political intimidation meant to silence dissent

Senator Omogeni, who also acted as his lawyer during the hearing, said he believed Kibagendi would be produced at Kisii Law Courts, only for him to later be ferried to Narok for the hearing. He insisted that the arrest would not silence the MP.

Omogeni believes that Kibagendi was arrested because of his continued criticism of the state in recent times. He said the MP has been condemning injustice in society and corruption, which, according to the senior counsel, has put him at odds with the state, leading to his arrest.

The lawmaker further called upon the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to spend more time prosecuting corruption-related cases rather than pursuing individuals who appear to be critics of the state.

“We maintain that this is political harassment because Kibagendi has been at the forefront of fighting for justice and condemning corruption. We urge the DPP to spend more energy looking at those who have stolen our resources.”

Kibagendi’s arrest

This comes a day after the MP took to his social media platforms to report his arrest by officers drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

He later reported that he was being driven to the DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road.

Before being flown to Kisii and detained at Keroka police station.