Kakamega, Kenya – Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya has been released on a bond.
Salasya was charged with assaulting, causing physical harm to Malaha-Isango Ward MCA Peter Walunya Indimuli, and creating a disturbance at the funeral on Friday, January 12.
The MP was summoned to appear in court on Tuesday, January 16, but failed according to Mumias Senior Resident Magistrate Marcella Onyango.
Appearing before the magistrate on Wednesday, January 17, Salasya denied all the charges and was released on a bond of KSh 50,000.
Magistrate Onyango set the next date of the hearing on February 19 and March 12, 2024.
Why Peter Salasya arrested
The lawmaker was arrested on Friday, January 12, after a viral video captured him slapping a man at a funeral. However, he was released on a bail of Ksh 50,000.
Salasya was addressing the masses at a funeral when the man he physically attacked asked to address the crowd, but the lawmaker told him to relax and allow him to continue with his speech.
The victim failed to bow to Salasya’s request, which made the Mumias East MP infuriated.
Amid the chaos, Salasya’s security detail was engaged in the intervention to restore calm. The lawmaker slapped the man before the mourners, something which Kenyans termed as reprehensible and intolerable.
Where Salasya’s controversy started
The MP has been in the headlines for various reasons, starting with when he won the Mumias East seat, where a woman professed her love for the MP and went viral on social media.
He recently vowed to challenge Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa in the 2027 gubernatorial race.
In a social media post by News 9 Kenya, the legislator has said, “There shall be no more handshakes between me and Governor Fernandes Barasa of Kakamega County, and because of this I will vie for governor of Kakamega county in 2027.”
The controversial MP threatened the Kakamega-based magistrate, and his rivalry with Governor Barasa over Mumias Sugar Company struggles.
Salasy was also in the limelight with a court ordering him to pay a businessman’s Ksh 500, 000 debt.
