Friday, August 5, 2011

Raila fires top aide over spat with IIEC

By DAVID OCHAMI
The revolving door in Prime Minister Raila Odinga's office has taken yet another high-flying casualty after the PM suspended a key aide and withdrew his security.
Miguna Miguna, the PM’s Advisor on Coalition Affairs, was suspended without pay pending investigations into his conduct, after complaints made against him from within the PM’s entourage. The action came on the heels of complaints by Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) Chairman, Ahmed Issak Hassan on Wednesday that a smear campaign has been waged in the media against the institution with the full knowledge of a key partner in the Grand Coalition Government.
Mr Roy Allan Otieno Odongo, the Personal Assistant to IIEC Chief Executive James Oswago was accused of feeding a local daily with false information on the affairs of the commission and suspended without pay.
Hassan said a document similar to an article published in the local daily was found on Odongo’s laptop and claimed the IIEC was riddled with nepotism and favouritism, among other ills.
The letter suspending the PM’s combative aide accuses Miguna of stepping over the line by "misrepresenting the Office of the Prime Minister" and orders him to surrender all his official entitlements as Secretary in Charge of Administration.
As expected, Miguna swiftly denounced his suspension and declared that although he had not received the letter, he would continue to wage war against impunity. "...I can assure you my struggle against impunity will not stop," he said, adding that he would "not be cowed."
Miguna neither elaborated nor explained his choice of words although reports indicate that the pressure to sack him came from powerful officials in and outside the PM’s office over what they regarded as accusing Miguna’s bad tactics, even as the premier tries to rebuild his political profile.
"It is unfortunate that my security has been withdrawn, personal assistant and secretary fired and my constitutional right pre-judged," said Miguna, adding he was not given reasons for the suspension and the due process was not followed.
hardline positions"I was in Naivasha on official duty. Nobody called or sent me an SMS [short text message] and neither did I get an email. I only heard about my suspension in the news. Whatever somebody concocted is baseless and unfounded. I shall not be cowed nor shall I waver," said Miguna.
An official who asked not be named said that ideologically, Miguna and Raila remain compatible but a strategy group within the PM’s entourage has concluded that, tactically, the lawyer has veered to the extreme left with some of his hard-line positions over the International Criminal Court proceedings against six prominent Kenyans, and implementation of the new Constitution, raising disquiet within the PM’s inner circle.
Earlier in the year, Raila assigned new responsibilities to some of his staff before flying to Germany for a medical check up.
His former Chief of Staff Caroli Omondi was tasked with co-coordinating ministries, while some of his previous duties were given to former Western province PC Abdul Mwasera.
It was reported the reshuffle was part of Raila’s wider plan to reorganise his team and rebuild political support across the country.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that Miguna was to be initially suspended three months ago when he issued a statement on the Orange Democratic Movement’s (ODM’s) position on the ICC, but the PM opted to hold back.
Miguna’s suspension letter dated Thursday does not specify how long he will be in the cold, but suggests he will not earn a cent "until your case is finalised." The Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr Mohamed Isahakia, signed the letter.
Miguna has been vocal and fearless (some say reckless) in his defence the PM and the Orange Democratic Movement ODM and its policies in public, including at the chaotic national tallying centre at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) during the ill-fated 2007 general election.
Previously working and living in Canada, Miguna has pricked many politicians, especially those allied to President Kibaki and the Party of National Unity (PNU) with his hard-hitting commentaries on topical issues and conduct of the Grand Coalition Government.
But he also made enemies within ODM where several MPs resented him for his unrepentant and unequivocal positions. Last year, some ODM MPs, including Rarieda legislator Nicholas Gumbo, denounced his press articles and called for his sacking.
Since then he indicates at the bottom of his press commentaries that his views are personal and not representative of the PM’s office.
His suspension follows reports that Raila is trying to re-organise his office and entourage after recently transferring some duties of his Chief of Staff Karoli Omondi to Abdallah Mwasera, the premier’s Secretary for Administration. Last evening Miguna, a lawyer and former student leader at the University of Nairobi, was unable to respond to the allegations about him exhaustively, because he had not received the letter from Isahakia.
"I have not seen the letter. No one has contacted me. I cannot comment until I see the letter...," he said.
The letter accuses Miguna who joined the PM’s office in 2004 of "gross misconduct and declares that while on " suspension, you will not be entitled to any salary until your case is finalised."

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