Bodyguard: I recorded Raila Odinga to protect Ababu Namwamba

Embattled Public Accounts Committee Chair Ababu Namwamba

The mystery surrounding the tapes that captured Opposition leader Raila Odinga in a conversation with embattled Public Accounts Committee Chair Ababu Namwamba and two MPs deepened Thursday after Namwamba’s bodyguard said he recorded the conversation to protect his boss.

In a grilling session with the House Powers and Privileges Committee, Bernard Odako, an Administration Police corporal, was taken to task on the reasons behind the recording played by Namwamba when he appeared before the committee.

Mr Odako said he had recorded the conversation between Raila, Namwamba, Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama and Suna East MP Junet Mohammed as a cushion against any future eventualities against his boss. “Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. As a prudent officer, I had to use my intellect to do what I had to do. I don’t just do things...” the officer said.

The witness gave a chronology of events that led to the recording, telling the committee that on the material day, he had accompanied Namwamba to Fairview Hotel for the meeting with the two MPs before they were joined by Raila.

He explained that after the meeting started, he decided to activate the recorder on Namwamba’s phone before handing it over to him and retreating to a nearby cubicle within the hotel.

“In the security department, security is not all about confronting the enemy using your gun. It means trying to secure your boss using all mechanisms that are provided in our regulations,” he said.

He said he only informed Namwamba the phone was in recording mode as they walked back to the car at the end of the meeting.