Kimilili Member of Parliament Didmus Barasa, who has been on the run in the past two days, was re-elected after garnering 26,861 votes in the August 9 General Election.
Barasa, who vied on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party ticket, upset his rival, Brian Khaemba of the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-Kenya) who got 9,497 votes.
The MP, alongside his competitors who vied for the seat, did not show up during the vote-tallying process when the returning officer announced the results.
Media reports indicated that heavy security detail was deployed to St Luke’s Kimilili Boys High School polling station in order to apprehend the legislator if he showed up at the tallying centre.
The MP has been on the run after he allegedly shot deat Khaemba’s aide on Tuesday evening, August 9.
An arrest warrant was later issued by Bungoma County Commissioner Samuel Kimiti who gave Barasa 24 hours to surrender.
The Bungoma DCI boss added that police had received a tipoff that the legislator had crossed the border into Uganda using a motorcycle.
Barasa’s alleged shooting incident attracted the attention of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) which issued orders of his arrest and directed that the file be availed at the prosecutor’s office.
“DPP Noordin Haji has given directions to have Didmus Barasa apprehended, record a statement & have the relevant file availed to his office for appropriate action.”
“Barasa who is the incumbent MP, Kimilili Constituency, was reported to have shot and killed Brian Olunga, on August 9, 2022, at Chebukwabi Polling Station. Olunga was a bodyguard to Brian Khaemba, who was Barasa’s opponent in the elections. According to police in Bungoma, the MP is still at large and his phone is switched off,” read part of the statement from the ODPP.
The DPP’s orders came after the Kimilili MP sent out a tweet captioned: time is limited, despite the fact that he was a wanted person. He later issued another tweet hours later, heaping praise for Deputy President William Ruto.
“Tick! Tock! The Clock Is Ticking, William Ruto the 5th,” the statement read.