Supporters of Starehe Member of Parliament Charles Njagua on Wednesday afternoon stormed Nairobi area police station where the legislator is held following his arrest.
Jaguar was earlier arrested outside parliament buildings by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over his recent remarks on the deportation of foreigners. The remarks have elicited mixed reactions, with some terming them xenophobic.
Police had a rough time containing the situation as they fired canisters to disperse the supporters who demanded the immediate release of Jaguar.
Read: Starehe MP Charles Jaguar Arrested Outside Parliament Buildings
While addressing the media outside the police station, the supporters led by MPs, Moses Kuria (Gatundu South) and Nixon Korir (Lang’ata) said Anti-riot police had frustrated their efforts to see Jaguar.
Teargassed Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria warns of a revolution after arrest of Starehe MP Jaguar. pic.twitter.com/bR78iFTwcn
— Nairobi News (@Nairobi_News) June 26, 2019
According to Korir, the legislator’s acts didn’t amount to xenophobia.
The legislators argued that Jaguar was reinforcing Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi’s calls to have foreigners trading illegally in Gikomba deported. The CS had ordered the deportation of seven Chinese nationals who were selling Mitumba clothes in the market.
On Tuesday, Jaguar was captured in a video telling foreigners trading in the market to vacate their business premises or be evicted forcefully.
“If they will not have gone back to their countries, as your MP, we will get into their shops and remove them and beat them then drag them to the airport,” he said.
The government has since distanced itself from the remarks, terming them inciteful and unfortunate.
Also Read: Starehe MP Jaguar Graduates From Mount Kenya University (Photos)
“We wish to state that this is not the position of the Government of the Republic of Kenya, and we denounce the comments carried in the video in the strongest terms possible,” read the statement from Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna.
“Such comments are unfortunate and have no place in today’s globalized environment. Kenyans are peace loving people who have over the years coexisted with others of different nationalities.”
Following the Tuesday remarks, Tanzania summoned Kenyan High Commissioner to Dar es Salaam Dan Kazungu.
Also Read: I Did Not Slap Jaguar, His Cheek Moved Towards My Hand – Babu Owino
Tanzania’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said the government took the remarks seriously and has summoned Kenya’s envoy to explain.
“We summoned the Kenyan High Commissioner to Tanzania. We also spoke to our High Commissioner in Kenya. The Kenyan diplomat said it was a personal utterance that had nothing to do with the official position of the Kenyan government. He promised that his country would summon the lawmaker to explain what he actually meant by the statement,” said Mr Majaliwa.
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