MP Aisha Jumwa arrested over fatal gun drama

Malindi Member of Parliament Aisha Jumwa was arrested early today at her Kakuyuni home in Malindi, Kilifi County.

The combative legislator was arrested alongside four others over last night’s fracas where a man was shot dead in her constituency.

Police stormed into her compound at 3am after camping outside her gate from Tuesday at 10pm.

The five are accused of storming an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) meeting at the home of Reuben Katana in Ganda.

Katana is the ODM candidate for the upcoming Ganda Ward by-elections slated for tomorrow.

The seat fell vacant after the nullification of the election of Abdul Omar, an independent candidate supported by Aisha Jumwa.

According to police records at Malindi Police Station, Aisha Jumwa and her entourage arrived at Katana’s home at 1730hrs to inquire of the gathering yet official campaign hours had elapsed.

“She arrived in a convoy of three vehicles accompanied by her aides and other unidentified people,” police said, adding that a scuffle ensued when she started to question the organisers of the meeting.

“Upon enquiring, the crowd became rowdy and violent and started pelting stones and crude weapons at the MP and her group,” police noted.

The officers added that Aisha Jumwa’s bodyguard started shooting in the air which aggravated the mob of about 500 people who accused him of killing an ODM supporter.

The area deputy sub-county police commander Solomon Kosgey and two other officers also shot in the air to disperse the crowd. They fired four bullets from their guns.

When the booms of the pistols and AK 47 went silent, 48-year-old Ngumbao Jola, an uncle to Katana, was left nursing a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Malindi General Hospital.

It is still unclear from whose gun did the bullet that killed Jola came from.

The police account is contradictory to that given by Aisha Jumwa who maintained that she left the scuffle before any shot was fired.

In dispelling reports that it was her who shot Jola, she told a local daily that she was not armed and had not shown any interest to apply for a firearm licence.

A witness at the event told KTN News that function was meant to strategise on how they will protect their votes at polling stations.

“Aisha stormed in with her goons. They wanted to disrupt the meeting which was very peaceful and it was almost coming to an end. They became chaotic in front of the police officers who did not do anything to stop them. They just watched as Aisha abused everyone, wanting to fight everyone until Jola was shot,” he said.

Aisha and the four others are being held at Port Police Station and are expected to be arraigned today. Standard Digital is yet to establish the charges they will be charged for.