{UAH} Standard Digital News - Kenya : Raila Odinga's aide saga raises fears over return of political oppression

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000088938&story_title=raila-aide-saga-raises-fears-over-return-of-political-oppression

By OSCAR OBONYO

It is former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who once hilariously noted that if a dog barks at you, ask not why but find out who its master is. The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) leader appears confronted with a reverse situation, following the summoning of one of his key aides by the Criminal Investigations Department ( CID) over alleged revolution plot.

Coming very early in the day – during the first hundred days of Jubilee Government – the development has raised heated debate. Mr Eliud Owalois not just any other individual or professional. He is directly associated with Raila, who served as a co-principal with President Kibaki in the Tenth Parliament.

The latest development accordingly raises a host of questions. Is the Campaign Manager of Raila's presidential bid acting on his behalf in the alleged subversion acts? Or is he being (mis)used to send a coded message to the Cord leader? Alternatively is he just a pawn in an emerging wider political scheme?

Raila backers view the latest move on Owalo as a direct affront on their man. Those who fought alongside him in the so-called second liberation view the action as political intimidation aimed at ushering back the one-party dictatorial rule.

"It is too soon for the Government of (President) Uhuru and (Deputy President William) Ruto to start harassing an individual who, in the public knowledge, is closely associated to Raila. It is obvious what this is all about. In the past (President) Jomo Kenyatta did it, (President) Moi did it and a few people in President Kibaki also tried to vanquish opposition voices," reacts, former Runyenjes MP and political detainee, Njeru Kathangu.

But conceding ignorance over factual details of the Owalo case, Prof Munene Macharia opines that if indeed there are activities of such nature committed by the Raila aide, then he should be interrogated and appropriate action taken.

 Noting that rebellion by opposition is commonplace in political history, Munene who teaches history and International Relations at the United States International University (USIU-Kenya), warns that subversion is a major crime "and it does not matter who the offender is".

 "We must allow the Government to carry out its investigative mandate. In fact it would be more worrying if nothing was done," says Munene.

 Owalo's troubles started in earnest last weekend after he penned an article in The Standard On Sunday calling for the dissolution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which he summarily dismissed as incompetent and partisan.

 Curiously, Raila arrived on the same day from an official overseas trip in Australia, and as if reading from the same script, castigated the electoral body and repeated Owalo's lines that it should be scrapped. 

Separately, Orange party insiders say the President and his deputy have separately and privately made overtures to Raila to quite politics in exchange for a "plum job" as Kenya's special envoy for a docket of his choice. The Standard On Sunday has not independently established the claims, although such a refrain has been repeated by MPs allied to Uhuru and Ruto, as condition for releasing Raila's retirement package.  

Standard Digital News - Kenya : Raila Odinga's aide saga raises fears over return of political oppression
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000088938&story_title=raila-aide-saga-raises-fears-over-return-of-political-oppressio