Governor Nyong'o wants police to explain violent arrest of 36 Ugandan opposition members

Kisumu County Governor Anyang Nyongo is now demanding an explanation from the National Police Service (NPS) regarding the arrest of 36 Ugandan opposition politicians who were picked up from a guest house in Kisumu and deported.

Governor Nyong'o in a statement says the politicians from the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Party were attacked and violently arrested at Ukweli pastoral centre guest house along the Kisumu-Kakamega highway where they were meeting.

Nyong'o says according to Ugandan opposition leader Kiiza Besigye, the FDC politicians had just concluded the meeting on July 23 when a group of armed people believed to be Ugandan and Kenyan Security personnel broke into their rooms, assaulted, arrested and drove them back to Uganda in the middle of the night.

Nyong'o says the politicians had been lawfully allowed to enter Kenya by immigration officials to attend the meeting only to be later roughed up and deported.

While affirming that the County Government of Kisumu has no link with the politicians, Nyong'o said that the incident was unfortunate and condemned violation meted against them while within the territory of Kisumu County.

Nyong'o says Kenyan police should clarify why their officers were involved in the attack.

He says there is a need for detailed investigations into the matter adding that Kenya is a democratic country that obeys International Human Rights charters and should not be used to curtail the rights of other people legally in the country.