Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya was released on a cash bail of Sh200,000 in a hate speech case. Principal Magistrate Paul Mutai directed the state to reinstate his security. Salasya was arraigned following his arrest along the Isiolo-Nanyuki highway and was held at Nairobi Central Station. The court directed investigators to explain the whereabouts of his phone when the case comes up for mention on Tuesday, June 4.

Salasya's lawyer, Ken Echesa, claimed the MP was arrested in a “barbaric” manner and his legal team was initially denied access. Echesa condemned the arrest as politically driven, stating that it aimed to derail Salasya’s 2027 political plans. He criticized the charges against Salasya as “defective and far-fetched,” noting that due process was not followed, as Salasya had not been summoned by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.

Salasya is accused of inciting ethnic hatred between the Luhya and Luo communities through a social media post dated May 10, 2025. The post in question read: “Luos are the number one enemies of the Luhya people. We must fight back against this narrative of Luos, or they will sink us. They are in guts but still fighting an innocent person. Ama tuwatahiri iishe.” Salasya pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on a bond of KSh 500,000 or an alternative cash bail of KSh 200,000. The charges stemmed from an online feud with supporters of the ODM party, triggered by Salasya’s criticism of Raila Odinga. An alleged attack by ODM-linked soccer fans further escalated the situation.

In related news, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) conducted searches at the residences and offices of Governor George Natembeya and four others, linked to alleged irregular procurement and fictitious payments amounting to KSh 1.4 billion by the Trans Nzoia county government during the 2022/2023 and 2024/2025 financial years. Natembeya is accused of influencing tender awards and receiving kickbacks through proxies.