Westlands MP Fred Gumo now wants the Njoya beating suspects to go unpunished.

On Monday, Mr Gumo vigorously distanced himself from the Jeshi la Mzee the suspects are said to belong to and said he did not send the two people caught on camera beating the Rev Timothy Njoya last Thursday.

But reliable sources said yesterday that Police Commissioner Philemon Abong'o refused Mr Gumo's request and insisted the two suspects must be punished.

In a related event, Minister Marsden Madoka said the suspects will be charged as the government did not condone any form of violence against any individual. Only one suspect has been arrested.

Police arrested Patrick Shikanga Likhotio in Kakamega on Sunday night following wide coverage in the local media of the incident where the clergyman was clobbered in full view of police.

Police were yesterday tracking down another prime suspect implicated in the savage attack.

Mr Madoka, who was addressing a press conference, in his office said even policemen who rained blows on Rev Njoya will be punished.

The police officer whose picture appeared in one of the newspapers beating up someone will be pursued.

"The police had firm instructions on that day to exercise restraint," he said.

Mr Madoka said that instructions were to close Parliament Road as it was Budget day.

Mr Madoka said the demonstrators, were free to use alternative roads in their peaceful demonstration.

The minister said that he was misquoted on the issue of Rev Njoya as he did not condone his beating.

Meanwhile, the Department of Defence is trying to confirm whether the second suspect is a soldier. He is suspected to be a mason with the army's 12th Engineering Battalion, based at Thika.

Military spokesman Nick Simani said the military was investigating the claims that the man, identified as a Sergeant Muthusi, was a soldier.

He denied that the army was in any way hiding the soldier and said that once found, he would be arrested and taken to court.

"If he is one of our men, he will face the full force of civilian law as the crime committed was outside military jurisdiction," Mr Simani said.

The chairman of the Labour Party of Kenya, Mr Mathew Okwanda, described Njoya's beating as: "Primitive, heinous and satanic."

"To add insult to injury, two uncivil ministers Julius Sunkuli and Francis Lotodo have hailed the thugs who clobbered Rev Njoya." said Mr Okwanda in a statement.

In Nyeri Presbyterian Church of East Africa's Karatina moderator Rev Linus Mwangi said the police commissioner was not truthful in the handling of the Njoya issue.

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