Ex-MP sentenced to 12 months in prison for slapping colleague

Former Laikipia North MP Mathew Lempurkel at a Milimani court in July in a case where he was charged with assaulting current area MP Sarah Korere in 2016. [File, Standard]

Former Laikipia North MP Mathew Lempurkel has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for assault

Lempurkel was charged with assault after he slapped the current Laikipia North MP Sarah Korere, on November 21, 2016, at Harambee House in Nairobi.

According to a court charge sheet, Lempurkel slapped Korere on the left cheek and kicked her on the lower abdomen injuring her in the process.

Senior Principal Magistrate, Hellen Onkwani slapped Lempurkel with a 12-months sentence with no option for a fine.

Lempurkel was convicted after the court ruled that the Prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that he committed the offence.

Through his lawyer James Orengo, Lempurkel claimed that a CCTV footage did not capture the incident he is charged with.

However, the magistrate dismissed his claims ruling that the boardroom where the offence was committed had no CCTV.

Onkwani also rejected the defence claim that the ex-MP was a first-time offender, ruling that as a leader Lempurkel should set a good example to Kenyans.

Lempurkel has 14 days to appeal the ruling or begin his sentence.

The former legislator was in September arrested over the clashes in Laikipia County.

He was charged with hate speech before being released on a cash bail of Sh150,000 after pleading not guilty.