No courtroom battle with Miguna, Raila says

By Martin Mutua and Allan Kisia       

Prime Minister Raila Odinga tactfully avoided a potentially explosive face-off with his former aide Miguna Miguna by declaring he would not sue him for defamation.

By invoking his history in liberation movements and defence of basic rights and freedoms, part of which he said Miguna enjoyed in writing the book, Raila appeared more keen to steer his presidential campaign off courtroom battles that could hurt his family and personal reputation.

It is also believed the PM was avoiding a situation where he would give Miguna the platform to argue out his unflattering claims against him, associates and family. 

By suing Miguna the PM would have let himself into a situation where he would face his bitter aide in court, who would predictably try to corner him on every claim.

The litany of allegations against the PM are contained in Miguna’s book, Peeling Back the Mask: A Quest for Justice in Kenya, assaults Raila’s credentials as “a politician who is clean as cotton wool”.

With the PM now steering away from the courts over Miguna book, Kenyans will now be watching to see if his top aides and associates mentioned adversely would take cue or exercise their own right to defend their reputations.

They include PM’s Chief of Staff Caroli Omondi, Government Chief Whip (ODM) Jakoyo Midiwo, and Cabinet ministers James Orengo, Otieno Kajwang’, and Anyang’ Nyong’o.

Also in the same bracket is the Permanent Secretary in the PM’s office Mohammed Isahakia, and members of PM’s family, including his wife, Ida, whom Miguna said ordered a ferry already sailing on Lake Victoria to pick her on the shores and then proceeded to offload Agriculture minister Sally Kosgei’s car to create room for her entourage.

The accusations Miguna has leveled against the PM in his book is that he knew about the multi-million shilling maize scandal, and that he had appointed his relatives to Public Service positions.

He also accuses Raila of being a flip-flopping politician who one the one hand preaches integrity, but also dines and wines with the corrupt. 

On the negotiations leading to power-sharing deal with President Kibaki that created Grand Coalition Government, Miguna accuses Raila of having lost out because he was cowardly and unfocused. But Raila has previously said he agreed to negotiate for peace in 2008 because he wanted to save the country.