{UAH} Miguna claims Uhuru-Raila handshake was pre-arranged

Miguna claims Uhuru-Raila handshake was pre-arranged

THURSDAY MAY 30 2019

    

Lawyer Miguna Miguna. He claims the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his bitter rival in the 2017 and 2018 elections Raila Odinga was pre-arranged. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• The political activist says the deal was already in place by the time of the opposition leader's controversial swearing-in at Uhuru Park on January 30, 2018.
• In the no-holds-barred interview, the politician further said the event was plagued by lack of coordination because the opposition leader had developed cold feet.
• Mr Miguna alleged that Mr Odinga and Mr Kenyatta had a hand in his arrest and eventual deportation in a series of events that held the country spellbound, culminating in his forced exit under the glare of media cameras.

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By AGGREY OMBOKI
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Firebrand lawyer Miguna Miguna has sensationally claimed that the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his bitter rival in the 2017 and 2018 elections Raila Odinga was pre-arranged.

The political activist says the deal was already in place by the time of the opposition leader's controversial swearing-in at Uhuru Park on January 30, 2018.

"Raila did not want to come to the event at Uhuru Park and he only came at 3pm, when he feared that I would take the crowd at venue in a direction that they would not be able to control," Dr Miguna told Citizen TV in Washington DC.

He said Mr Odinga's entourage came to the park without the speech he had been asked to draft for the occasion, among other items.

In the no-holds-barred interview, the politician further said the event was plagued by lack of coordination because the opposition leader had developed cold feet.

"They came to the park and did not bring the chair, the oath, the platform, the emblem. In fact, had I not brought the oath, the seal, pen and emblem, he would not have been sworn in. A Bible I had used to swear him in at Karen was missing. The pen that Jimmy Wanjigi had bought for the occasion allegedly costing 2,500 dollars (Sh250,000) was also missing, which means they were not ready for it," he told the TV anchor.

"I had drafted a speech which Mr Odinga had told me to share with Dennis Onyango and Winnie Odinga. We were not to leave the park for State House but were to stay at the park and hold a carnival protest for as long as it took until Uhuru surrendered. Raila however left immediately after the event. I had to jump into Winnie's car in order to get to Karen.

Mr Miguna disputed the anchor's attempts to insist that lawyer and MP Tom Kajwang swore-in Mr Odinga.

"After the event, it was just Raila, Jimmy, Ida, Malala, Khaniri, Orengo. Nobody else was there, so what is the point of  those people saying that Kajwang swore him in? He was nowhere to be seen, as you can see from the photos," he said.

FORCED EXIT

Mr Miguna alleged that Mr Odinga and Mr Kenyatta had a hand in his arrest and eventual deportation in a series of events that held the country spellbound, culminating in his forced exit under the glare of media cameras.

"Why was I arrested, detained, held incommunicado and not released despite 15 court orders, yet Raila, who was the owner of the oath, was not arrested?" he posed, attributing the turn of events to the opposition leader's fear of his growing influence in the country's political arena.

"I was a direct threat to Uhuru and Raila because the president would have to deal with the kingmaker. Mr Odinga felt that even if he became president, he felt the succession was a foregone conclusion as he had already surrendered the quest for the presidency, he would have to deal with me. He then had now to (politically) cut my legs and head off," said Dr Miguna.

RETURN

He also claimed that Mr Odinga and Mr Wanjigi had reneged on a pledge to bankroll the new government.

"Raila and Jimmy had promised to deliver Sh4 million to enable me start some work. Instead of them delivering the money, police instead came to my house and broke down my door using explosives," Mr Miguna said.

He accused Mr Odinga, and human rights organisations of failing to help him secure his return to the country.

"Mr Odinga has a lot of influence with the lawyers that defended me yet they have never done anything to help me get my passport back. Not even Amnesty International and other organisations have offered to help me get it back. If I got the passport, I would be home by Friday. I have not returned because they arrested, tortured, detained, drugged and robbed me and nothing has been done to enforce the court orders regarding my case since then," he said.

He said he was not afraid to die on his return to the country, saying he would be proud to die for a worthy cause.

"I do not fear death, we are going to die one day. If I was to die for something meaningful or a just cause like Chris Hani and Malcom X, I would be very proud to die," said Mr Miguna.