Oscar Sudi surrenders to police after 48-hour dramatic search

The 48-hour dramatic search for controversial Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi ended theatrically Sunday morning when he presented himself to police in Eldoret before he was transferred to cool his heels in a Nakuru cell. 

The lawmaker, who inexplicably escaped police dragnet at his Kapseret home on Friday night, strolled into Langas Police Station, Eldoret, accompanied by his lawyer Gladys Shollei, the Uasin Gishu woman rep, and other lawmakers; catching officers at the report office by surprise.

"Following media reports that police were looking for him, Sudi decided to present himself because there were no summons and neither was there warrant of arrest for him,” Ms Shollei said.

“He was not on the run because he had not been summoned, he presented himself voluntarily and he has been officially booked at 8am and now he is in police custody in accordance with the law.”

Uasin Gishu police boss Johnston Ipara said Mr Sudi's allies helped “fish” him from his hideouts, but the officer could not explain how the MP managed to hide in suspected plain-sight.

"I applaud leaders who have managed to fish him from his hideouts because it has helped to ease tensions, which were building across the region," said Mr Ipara. "We have been looking for Sudi, we wanted him to be arrested so he can record a statement by NCIC against utterances he made.”

Even though they are yet to establish where the legislator was hiding, Mr Ipara said, police suspect he was in Nandi County.

The police boss said his suspicion was fuelled by the presence of Nandi Governor Stephen Sang and Aldai MP Cornelly Serem, who were among a host of leaders accompanying Mr Sudi to the police station.

Arrest MP

"Our intention was to arrest the MP and this could be done either by us arresting him or him surrendering himself; and what happened in the morning is a clear indication that Mr Sudi could have hidden somewhere in Nandi and that is why Governor Sang and MP Serem got him to escort to our stations," said Mr Ipara.

"Those saying that he was not hiding, then why was he not at his home?”

According to the MP, he presented himself to the authorities instead of engaging in what he described as “drama” after a contingent of heavily armed police barricaded his home on Friday night. "It was unnecessary to be treated with a lot of drama by sending a contingent of police officers to my home. I was away the time police arrived at my place," he posted on his social media accounts.

More than 100 officers under the command of Mr Ipara raided Mr Sudi’s home on Friday night seeking to arrest him for alleged hate speech and incitement, but he managed to escape under unclear circumstances.

During the operation, one General Service Unit officer was injured on his right hand while trying to gain entry and the MP’s guard, a Mr Samuel Kibiwot, was shot on both his right and left shoulders.

According to police reports, seven people were arrested during the raid, including three officers working with the Presidential Escort Unit.

24-hours rule

Police claimed the officers — Simon Siengo and Issack Dida and CI Ekiru — came to rescue Mr Sudi from his house with a Toyota Prado and one fled with the MP while the other two stayed behind.

Two officers who were arrested in Mr Sudi’s home— Simon Siengo and Issack Dida— were released due to lack of evidence, according to Kapseret sub-county police boss Francis Warui.

CI Ekiru, who is suspected to have fled with Mr Sudi, was yet to be accounted for by Sunday evening. "We are yet to establish why they were at Sudi's place, however, due to 24 hours rule, we had to release them as we continue with our investigations into this matter. After gathering our pieces to warrant their prosecution, we will re-arrest them," said Mr Warui on phone.

On surrendering, Mr Sudi was later bundled into a police vehicle, which sped off to Eldoret Airstrip, where he was airlifted by a police helicopter to Nakuru to record a statement with the National Cohesion and Integration Commission over utterances he made last week.

By Onyango K’onyango, Barnabas Bii and Joseph Openda