There was a light-hearted moment in the Senate on Tuesday morning when Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka made a surprising claim about his Nandi counterpart, Samson Cherargei. Onyonka humorously recounted that Cherargei once broke down in tears after being arrested by the police.
Onyonka shared this anecdote while contributing to a motion regarding Douglas Kanja's consideration as the next Inspector General of Police. He criticized the National Police Service for its history of unilateral arrests, suggesting that it was now Kanja’s responsibility to restore the public's trust in the institution.
“Mr Speaker as you look at it now, a gentleman called Jimi Wanjigi has been arrested, his house was demolished and these are issues that I would want to seek in this house,” he said.
He went on “I remember when Cherargei was being arrested three years ago and he was screaming saying oh my God what would happen to me, these people came at 3am”.
Cherargei did not take Onyonka’s remarks lightly and promptly rose to demand an apology. He clarified that while he had indeed been arrested in an embarrassing situation—while naked—he had never cried as Onyonka had claimed.
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“Mr Speaker, is it in order to go on the Hansard of this House that I was yelling and crying? I am a dry Kalenjin man who was circumcised at 3am,” he questioned.
“In fact, I was arrested naked but I have never cried about it Mr Speaker. Can he apologise to me and the great people of Nandi in the spirit of Koitalel Samoei and Talai,” he posed amid laughter.
When Speaker Amason Kingi challenged Onyonka to substantiate his statement, he insisted that he “literally” saw him wailing and asking for his gods to excuse him.
Cherargei vowed to present a video clip to refute the claims, showing that he never cried. Senate Speaker Amason Kingi noted that since the House was about to go on recess, Cherargei could provide the evidence when they reconvene on September 17.
“We are proceeding on recess today, once we come back provide that clip,” said Onyonka.
During his remarks, the Kisii Senator urged Douglas Kanja to maintain the dignity he has demonstrated if approved for the role of Inspector General of Police. The motion for Kanja's consideration was introduced by Baringo Senator William Cheptumo, who also serves as the chairperson of the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence, and Foreign Relations.
Nominated Senator Crystal Asige added that Kanja's effectiveness will be judged by his actions in the first 100 days of his tenure.
"On his first day in office. Mr Speaker, that will determine the intention of this new IG and where he would like to take the national police," she said.
