Kajwang: Arrest Miguna for witholding PEV evidence

Kajwang: Arrest Miguna for witholding PEV evidence

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Updated 3 hrs 17 mins ago

By Nicholas Anyuor and Peter Atsiaya

The revelations of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s adviser Miguna Miguna have elicited mixed reactions.

Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang’ has said the Government should arrest Miguna over allegations that he was withholding some evidence of post-election violence.

He dismissed Miguna, saying ODM never expected he would ‘stoop to a political demagogue.’

“He said he has evidence (on post-election violence) that he keeps to himself. He should be arrested and charged with withholding such evidence. This is a serious offence,” Kajwang’ argued. “We pity him. We thought he was a young man of promising character and intellectual capacity. He is now behaving like a political hireling,” Kajwang’ said.

Mr Kajwang also said those who have been implicated in Miguna’s book, Peeling Back the Mask; A Question for Justice could sue the media house and the publishing firms that have helped spread the content of the book.

“Some content of the book as serialised are defamatory to people quoted and these people are likely to sue the publisher and the media houses and not Miguna because those defamed should look for where there is more money,” he said.

fighting allegations

At the same time, two ODM MPs portrayed in Miguna’s book as being incompetent have come out fighting.

Nyakach MP Polyns Ochieng and his Nyando counterpart Fred Outa have reacted angrily to claims by the former Prime Minister’s adviser that they were not good parliamentarians.

Miguna claimed that Mr Ochieng and Mr Outa were dour, lacklustre and clueless parliamentarians. He said in the book that the duo’s contribution in the House could not fill a two-lined paragraph.

But the MPs in separate interviews said the content in the book was not factual and accused Miguna of using the book to settle personal vendetta with elected leaders.

“Miguna has missed the point in his book. He only wants to trade with the PM’s name,” said Ochieng.

 He added: “We have done well in Parliament and both of us are members of Parliamentary committees, so Miguna is wrong.”

He added that he had a dossier as to why Miguna ran away from Canada where he had sought asylum and threatened to spill the beans.

“I have damaging information about why Miguna fled Canada and I will soon release it,” he said.

Outa noted that Miguna’s allegations were laughable and told Kenyans to ignore him.

He noted that Miguna was bitter that he floored him when he ran for Nyando Parliamentary seat in the 2007 elections.

bad faith

“Miguna was in the race for the seat and he did not manage even 20 votes, that is why he is spreading propaganda about me,” he added.

The leaders said Miguna’s attack on the PM was in bad faith and termed him a malicious individual.

Separately, three United Democratic Forum (UDF) MPs have challenged Raila to clear his name over corruption allegations against him by Miguna.

Housing Minister Soita Shitanda led the MPs in demanding that Raila comes out clean over the graft allegations.

Other MPs putting pressure on the PM to respond to the allegations include Boni Khalwale (Ikolomani) and Justus Kizito (Shinyalu).

Speaking to The Standard in separate interviews, the MPs noted that claims by Miguna were serious and Raila cannot afford to ignore them by keeping quiet.

Dr Khalwale said Raila cannot run away from graft allegations in Miguna’s book.