CAROLYNE KUBWA

Wajir East MP Rashid Kassim Amin called Woman Rep Fatuma Gedi  “stupid” and slapped her face, the court was told on Tuesday afternoon.

Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga said the MP slapped Gedi and said “nonsense”. 

“I ran back as I heard that and Gedi was crying with blood oozing from her mouth,” Wanga told the court.

Wanga was testifying in a case in which Kassim is charged with assaulting Gedi.

She told  Milimani principal magistrate Martha Nanzushi how she stepped out of the National Assembly as everyone waited for the budget to be read. 

“When I got out of the door of the Parliament with Gedi, I met with the accused whom we work with in the Public Investment Committee. We exchanged pleasantries and the two began to converse in their local language,” Wanga said.

The court heard that as they continued to talk, another MP approached them. 

Shortly after she heard a commotion and turned back, she heard Gedi crying and saw her bleeding from the mouth.

 Wanga helped Gedi and took her to the sergeant at arms who advised them to report to the police.

Wanga confirmed to the court that she saw Gedi being slapped. They left and reported the case at Parliament police station. 

“We were advised to visit the hospital and went to Karen Hospital where Gedi was treated.”

A P3 form was filled at Nairobi police station. 

On cross examination, Wanga said she had known Kassim to be a man of good character as they were in the same Budget committee.

In the case, Kassim is accused of assaulting Gedi at Parliament Buildings, Nairobi.

The court heard that at around mid-morning at Parliament parking lot, Kassim willfully and unlawfully assaulted Gedi and injured her.

Kassim reportedly accosted the female lawmaker and engaged her in a heated discussion before the alleged attack.

The incident allegedly happened in the presence of other legislators and security officers who were manning Parliament ahead of Treasury CS Henry Rotich’s unveiling of the Sh3.02 trillion 2019-20 budget.

Kassim demanded to know why Gedi, who is a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, failed to allocate money to his constituency during a recent visit by the budget team.

She has said there had been public participation. Gedi has already testified in the matter. Kassim denied the charges and he is out on a cash bail of Sh50,000.

Earlier on, Magistrate Martha Nanzushi had turned away journalists from covering the assault case, on claims of overcrowding. She, however, moved to a bigger court.

Source: The Star