Parliamentary mace is reportedly still missing days after Parliament Speaker Moses Wetangula claimed that the missing mace was a dummy and the original one is secure.
The revelations were made in court on Monday after one Stephen Mokogi Nyarenchi was arraigned in court over the mace charges. He was accused of unlawful entry into the parliament compound during Tuesday’s anti-tax protests.
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The suspect also denied taking the missing mace, which the House officially describes as a ‘overarching symbol of authority and dignity’ before the Principal Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi.
This comes after protesters stormed in Parliament on Tuesday last week after overpowering the police manning the house, ate food in the cafeteria, stole the mace and even stole a serjeant-at-arms jacket.
However, Speaker Moses Wetangula denied claims that the mace was indeed the original one and that the Member of Parliament and kenyans should not be concerned as the mace was highly protected.
“Reports that the House mace had been carted away by the demonstrators are false; what was taken away was a dummy Mace on display. I want to assure members of the House that the mace is always highly secured.”
However, the arrest and arraignment of suspects over the stolen mace prove Wetangula’s statement otherwise as they are yet to locate it days after going missing with Parliament still on recess.
According to even one ODM MP Beatrice Elachi, the government through the police killed several youths in Githurai in a bid to locate the missing mace that is suspected to be hidden in the area.