Uncertainty and fear hung over the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) offices in Kisumu even as former chairman Onyango Oloo surrendered to police yesterday in Mombasa.
Mr Oloo, the current Kisumu County Speaker, spent the night at Central Police Station.
Sweating profusely behind bars at the police station, he spoke frantically on his cellphone.
He put up a brave face telling well-wishers “I am fine, I will be fine” and declined to speak much to reporters saying “I cannot talk to you from here because I am behind bars.”
The Speaker has on several occasions been written off after losing political battles only to re-emerge from different fronts.
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When he bolted from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s defunct The National Alliance (TNA) party in the run-up to the 2017 General Election, he went to town with news of an alleged dossier he claimed could sink TNA, including how Musalia Mudavadi was used and dumped in quest for the presidency.
Oloo also worked up crowds during ODM campaign rallies when he claimed to have details on how Raila Odinga won the 2013 presidential elections but was rigged out in an elaborate scheme. And in a quick rejoinder, politicians allied to Jubilee fired a stern warning to him.
The lawyer-turned-politician announced himself on the country’s political scene in 1997 and in 2002 when he first vied for the Kisumu East parliamentary seat losing to Gor Sungu and current MP Shakeel Shabir.
Known for his sharp dressing and eloquence, Oloo quickly found solace in Jubilee where he charmed his way to the top echelons where he surprised Kenyans by becoming the party’s secretary general.
An election later, he abandoned Jubilee and charmed his way to ODM in 2017 where he immediately became a leading character. Raila welcomed him and often gave him chance to “spill the Jubilee secrets” at ODM campaign rallies.
He campaigned for the Kisumu East parliamentary seat but lost in ODM nominations. The party big wigs again fell to his sweet tongue and lobbied for him to become the Kisumu County Assembly Speaker.
Oloo was a member of Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o's “Team Kali” that campaigned against former Governor Jack Ranguma.
He is currently not in good relations with Prof Nyong’o over the impeachment motions against the County executive.
Hours before the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji ordered his arrest on Friday, the Speaker who may have been tipped of the unfolding events, told the Sunday Standard he was ready to prove his innocence in court.
But yesterday his confidence seemed to have waned.
He paced up and down the police cells in his white checked shirt and grey khaki trousers, occasionally, dabbing his eyes, taking sips of water, often appearing exhausted.
Central Police Station is one of Mombasa’s most feared detention centres. It has no toilets, bedding and windows.
Interrogation
Oloo was taken into custody after reporting to detectives at the station at around 1.00pm on Saturday. He was accompanied by 20 MCAs from the Kisumu County Assembly. Witnesses told Sunday Standard that after interrogation by EACC detectives he was locked up as supporters, relatives and well wishers milled outside.
“I came here myself,” he told Sunday Standard through the grills of the police station.
Oloo and the MCAs have been attending a county leaders retreat at Pride Inn Hotel since Thursday.
“The Speaker came to this place accompanied by twenty MCAs following media reports that he was wanted for interrogation,” Minority Leader at the Kisumu County Assembly Philemon Juma said.
“After three hours of interrogation he was processed and he was put in,” Juma said and added that the Speaker had not been contacted, formally by EACC or police and only learnt that he was wanted by detectives from the media.
“These allegations that he was on the run are not true,” Juma said. Earlier Mombasa Urban DCIO Anthony Muriithi said that the Speaker surrendered to police and would be detained and taken to Nairobi today.
“He presented himself to us and is awaiting transportation to Nairobi,” said the DCIO.
Bobasi MP Innocent Obiri and Erdermann Property Ltd Managing Director, John Zeyung Yang have also been arrested over the Sh4.2 billion saga.
Sources at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said they were hunting for others implicated in the matter.
“We know they are in hiding because they fear being held over the weekend but we are determined to arrest them before Monday,” a senior detective familiar with the investigations said.
Among those being sought is businessman George Odawa who allegedly pocketed Sh12 million to ensure the contract was varied. Mr Oloo is alleged to have pocked Sh17 million.
The officials face 11 counts ranging from conspiracy to defraud, abuse of office, to unlawful acquisition of public property.
Yesterday, the Sunday Standard also learnt that senior EACC and DCI investigators were drawing a list of properties belonging to the suspects for possibile seizure.
[Reports by Dalton Nyabundi, Weldon Kipkorir and David Ochami]
