Engineers body condemns MP assault on Kenya Power staffer

A snippet of a video that captured Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai assaulting an Kenya Power engineer. [Twitter]

The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) has condemned an incident where Kitui East Member of Parliament Nimrod Mbai was caught on video assaulting an engineer and member of staff at Kenya Power.

In the video, Mbai, who was armed, assaulted the engineer and could be heard hurling insults at him for purportedly leading a team in ejecting illegal power poles and installations within the vicinity of his home in Kitengela, Kajiado County.

The Engineers body has come to the defence of their colleague saying intimidation towards workers is unacceptable and should not be condoned.

"The Operations and Maintenance Engineer based in Kajiado County was going about his duties in line with the mandate of the power supply company and in the interest of public safety. In the clip, the assailant MP is captured using unacceptable language towards the engineer and his team in front of other employees and onlookers."

"We take great exception to the language, style and dangerous approach used by the MP to express his grievance especially in modern-day Kenya," the statement reads in part.

The Engineers held that Mbai should face the full force of the law for his unlawful conduct towards the Kenya power engineer.

"The construction of illegal and substandard power lines by unqualified people has caused serious electrical accidents, damage to property and loss of lives and this must be brought under control," said IEK.

Additionally, the body has called on the Firearms Licensing Board (FLB) to permanently bar the Member of Parliament from being a licensed arm holder.

Currently, Mbai is at the Kajiado law courts where he is being arraigned over the alleged assault of the Kenya Power staffer.

At the same time, KPLC workers are demonstrating in Kitengela, condemning the attack on one of their own.

The Kenya Power and Lighting Company is expected to issue a statement on the same, any time now.