By CYRUS OMBATI
Joint Government Chief Whip Mr Jakoyo Midiwo relied heavily on unnamed sources and their verbal statements when he astonishingly announced a plot to kill Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Details of what Midiwo told police in regard to the alleged assassination plot are revealed today by The Standard.
A baptism of fire awaits the legislator when he returns to the country from South Africa, with
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Two weeks ago, Midiwo recorded a statement at the CID headquarters claiming Cabinet ministers, popular politicians and a senior military officer were hatching a plot to kill Prime Minister Raila Odinga. [PHOTO: FILE /STANDARD]
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In his eight-page statement to police, Midiwo narrates how and where the alleged meetings to plan the assassination of Raila took place, and mentions those he claims attended.
"I would like to state that sometimes (sic) during the month of March 2012, I was informed by a ‘citizen’ whom I don’t want to disclose that there was a meeting taking place at the poolside of the Serena Hotel, Nairobi," notes Midiwo.
He says in the statement that he learnt of the plot through sources he has known for a long time, and trusts, but is unwilling to name.
"I have known my sources for a long time and my view is that he is a very credible person," says part of the signed statement, a copy of which The Standard has obtained.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Mr Keriako Tobiko has also asked the police to arrest and charge the MP, who is still out of the country on official duty, for making false allegations in his statement.
Secret meetings
Midiwo sensationally mentions Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Finance minister Njeru Githae and his Foreign Affairs counterpart Prof Sam Ongeri as among individuals who attended part of meetings to allegedly plot the assassination. All have dismissed the claims as lies, while Prof Ongeri has instructed his lawyers to institute libel proceedings.
Also mentioned as having attended the meetings is a very senior officer in the military, as well as Eldoret North MP William Ruto and a Mr Ndung’u.
The first meeting, claims Midiwo, took place at the Serena Hotel’s poolside on March 6, while the second was at the private office in Gigiri, Nairobi belonging to the son of a leading Nyeri politician who, however, did not attend.
Midiwo says the first meeting at the Serena Hotel, Nairobi was attended by Githae, Ongeri and Ruto and 10 other people whose identities his unnamed source was not familiar with.
He adds that his source overheard part of the conversation, where Ongeri allegedly said that "at whatever costs Raila must not be allowed to become the President of Kenya".
The discussions, according to Midiwo’s statement, were conducted in English and that it is Ongeri who uttered the words.
"Incidentally, my informer also told me that all the other participants agreed with Hon Ongeri that something must be done to Hon Raila," adds the statement.
He added another source informed him that Ongeri had asked his staff at the Foreign Affairs ministry how they would deal with international reaction in the event the PM was killed.
Ongeri allegedly asked his staff to come up with an advisory paper, and later gave them a proposal after they slowed down in responding.
Says Midiwo: Staff at the ministry allegedly sought clarification from the minister on what exactly would be their roles in the event Raila was assassinated.
"In reply, Hon Ongeri categorically told his staff to give him a political answer since he was answerable to a boss who is a politician."
The statement says his source would not disclose the settings under which the minister’s instructions were being given, or if Ongeri was addressing one person or a meeting.
The statement claims a second meeting on April 3 in Gigiri was attended by Uhuru, Githae, the top military official and a Mr Ndung’u.
According to Midiwo his source informed him that those in attendance agreed to deal with Raila once and for all and have him eliminated.
"I am not sure whether my source actually attended the meeting at... office. I was reliably informed that the meeting lasted up to about 2am and the subject matter was all about how to assassinate Hon Raila Odinga," says Midiwo.
He adds that he did not inform the PM before he made the allegations public, and demands that Uhuru clarifies a statement he made that Midiwo alleges referred to Raila as the only problem in Kenya.
"Further, his statement that he has no problem with Luos except one of them needs to be clarified to the police," says Midiwo.
Mr Midiwo first made his claims at a funeral in Bondo on April 7, and asked Ongeri to clarify the role of alleged foreign mercenaries.
Midiwo, however, exonerated President Kibaki and said he was not in the picture about the plot.
Midiwo alleges that a meeting was held, which brought together two ministers, a senior security officer and a permanent secretary during which elimination of the PM was discussed as the last option in swinging the Kibaki succession race.
He recorded a statement at the CID headquarters, Nairobi on April 10, on the basis of which detectives questioned those mentioned.
In his statement, he also mentions the late Mary Onyango, the former vice-chair of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) as among those who had confided to him information on the plot.
Uhuru aide
He claims that Ms Onyango, who succumbed to cancer recently, told him on March 30 that a key aide of Uhuru threatened her through text messages accusing her of being used to destroy the DPM and said he would ensure she would disappear.
"I advised her to report the matter to police, but unfortunately she collapsed and died the following morning."
Mr Tobiko has concurred with the police recommendations that Midiwo be arrested and be charged with the offence. Midiwo is out of the country and may be taken to court anytime in the week, police said on Monday.
But the Gem MP told The Standard on the phone he is ready to go to court even as he insisted what he told police is true.
Midiwo said witnesses had corroborated what he said and challenged police to make public the statements they recorded from all the persons he mentioned.
The MP said police made the recommendations to charge him because he mentioned powerful individuals, some of whom he alleged are in high offices "naturally".
"It is a lie to them when some people who are untouchable are mentioned. I knew that will be their conclusion and I challenge them to make public all the statements that the people I mentioned submitted," he said on phone.
Midiwo said the work of the police is to confirm if information given to them is true or false. He added that police are being directed by some political class and demanded that the PM’s security be assured all the time.
"I am ready to go to court and I will inform them when I arrive at the airport," he added.
Ongeri has denied the claims by Midiwo and demanded an apology from the MP.
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