8 MPs from Wajir and Mandera counties dramatically detained at Wilson airport over controversial trip to Somalia

Why 8 MPs have been dramatically detained at Wilson Airport

Charles Ouma

March 1, 2020 2:43 PM

Police who were lying in wait took in the 8 MPs for questioning

File image of a police chopper at the Wilson Airport

Detectives have detained 8 Members of Parliament at Wislon Airport over a controversial trip they made to Somalia.

The 8 lawmakers from Wajir and Mandera counties were taken in by police who were lying in wait at the airport on 01 March 2020.

The eight who have been arrested are Ahmed Kolosh (Wajir West), Ibrahim Abdi (Lafey), Rashid Kassim (Wajir East), Mohamed Hire (Lagdera), Omar Maalim (Mandera East), Bashir Abdullahi (Mandera North), Adan Haji (Mandera West) and Kullow Maalim (Banisa).

They are curretly being questioned by detectives over the trip that comesin the wake of renewed tension between Jubaland and Somali National Army troops near the Mandera border with Kenya sucked into the political tensions in Somalia.

Th leaders allegedly flew to Somalia for an undisclosed mission on 29 Feb 2020.

Interestingly, they neither informed the House Speaker of their trip as should be the case under the law.

Tight security at Wilson Airport Pulse Live Kenya

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also left I the dark over the controversial trip. Normal practice is that the ministry is notified when legislators or representatives make any trip outside the country.

The Standard reports that the MPs who flew to Mogadishu aboard Salaamair Air Express Flight WU-751 on Saturday, February 29, at around 11 am met the Somali National Intelligence Agency (NISA) officials for a meeting which was not authorised by the national government.

Somalia has in the recent past accused Kenya of Jubbaland minister Abdirashid Hassan Abdinur alias Abdirashid Janan, who reportedly crossed into the country after escaping from prison.

Charles Ouma