Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji has confronted police officers in Embu for attempting to deny Embu residents a chance to hold prayers after the release of Billy Mwangi.
Gitonga blamed the chaos that erupted during the meeting with his electorates on the police saying that Embu residents are peaceful people.
The legislator insisted that the residents were just meeting to offer a prayer of thanksgiving because one of them Billy Mwangi had been safely found after his whereabouts were unknown for more than two weeks.
“We are praying because we have found Billy Mwangi and go home after the prayers,” Gitonga stated.
“Here in Embu, we are used to peace and that’s why when you told us to wait for the investigations to be done, we waited peacefully and did not cause any chaos. We have been doing other things peacefully and no one has lost their lives or property destroyed. If chaos is witnessed today, it will have been caused by the police,” he added.
The prayer meeting by the residents comes a week after they held a peaceful protest which turned chaotic with the police during the demand of the release of 25-year-old Billy Mwangi, who was allegedly abducted by police officers on Saturday, December 17, 2024.
The angry residents with placards blocked major roads and lit fires, demanding Mwangi’s immediate release as business in the town came to a standstill.
Manyatta MP led the peaceful march in Embu town before it turned chaotic.
Thousands turned up for the protest demanding the unconditional release of Billy Mwangi whose whereabouts were unknown.
Mwangi was abducted from a barber shop in Embu by four armed, masked men traveling in a silver double-cabin pickup that sped off towards the Embu-Nairobi highway.
His abduction followed shortly after he shared AI-generated images of President William Ruto, which some found offensive.
He was released early this week and was dropped at his parent’s home by good Samaritans.
However, the abductors are yet to be established as security personnel denied being involved in the series of abduction cases.