Kisumu Deputy Governor Ruth Odinga now claims her life is danger after receiving death threats.
She attributed the threats to wrangles between the county assembly and the executive over last week's sacking of City Manager Doris Ombara. Ms Odinga, who is Opposition chief Raila Odinga's sister, on Tuesday recorded a statement with the police saying she was threatened for questioning the legality of Ms Ombara's removal.
She accused City Secretary Humphrey Nakitare of writing a letter of transfer to Ombara illegally yet the county secretary is in office illegally after the now defunct Transition Authority recalled them.
After recording a statement with the police, Ms Odinga addressed the media at Kisumu Central Police Station saying Mr Nakitare stormed into a Cabinet meeting she was chairing at Sunset Hotel on behalf of the governor who is out of the country.
"The fact that I said Nakitare should not be making decisions since he is in office illegally, angered him forcing him to come where I was and threaten me. He told me that I would see what he would do to me and that I should go back to Siaya County," she said.
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But Nakitare laughed off the matter asking to be given evidence showing he threatened Odinga.
"I cannot threaten anyone. I have worked diligently as a public officer. I am not desperate for any job and people who are playing politics should stop dragging civil servants into petty village politics," he said.
On holding office illegally, Nakitare told Odinga to ask Governor Jack Ranguma why he was still in office.
"I did not employ myself, when Ranguma tells me there is a new county secretary I will gladly hand over," he said.
Without revealing the occurrence book number, Kisumu police division head Christopher Mshimba said: "The complainant said she had been threatened verbally and we shall follow due procedure during investigations on the matter. If the allegations are found to be true, the matter shall be forwarded to court for prosecution." On Tuesday, the county assembly debated the decision by the county government to redeploy Ombara in a motion moved by Kolwa Central MCA Kelvins Oraro and seconded by his Nyalenda counterpart James Were. MCAs lashed out at the executive for "wrongfully" redeploying Ombara to a non-existent office.
