‘Standard’ raid an official secret, claims Michuki

By Maseme Machuka

Kenyans will never know why the Government raided the Standard Group in March 2006.

The heinous raid will now be an official secret. Yesterday, Environment Minister John Michuki, who was then in charge of Internal Security, said: "There’s no obligation on the Government or its agencies to give reasons why it conducted the raid on the Standard and KTN on national interest."

Speaking in his office when he instructed his lawyers to enjoin another suit on former Kabete MP Paul Muite, Mr Michuki said debate on the raid should be put to rest.

He went on: "No Government that respects itself will tell you why it conducted the raid. The Government averted something."

He accused Muite of embracing the Standard raid issue as "his personal business."

"Why is he so passionate about an issue concerning a newspaper that is very rich?" said Michuki.

"Dare him to tell you why it was carried out. He knows neither. Even The Standard does not know why it was raided. If they knew then, they could have published to say why," he added.

In 2006, the minister said the raid was conducted because the Standard and KTN wanted to publish and air subversive material.

"If you rattle a snake, then be prepared to be bitten by it," the minister had said.

On remarks by Muite over evidence the minister had given to the Parliamentary Committee he chaired that investigated the matter, Michuki said: "Put the matter to a stop. The committee he chaired had 13 members and on the day I presented myself for interrogation, the meeting was co-chaired by Suleiman Shakombo and Muite. Were the rest of the committee members deaf? Why is it that it’s only Muite who heard me refer to the reason the Standard was raided?"

irst family

He went on: "The report can be accessed in Parliament. Where does it say that I told of something concerning the First Family."

Michuki has now instructed lawyer Mohammed Nyaoga to enjoin the remarks on the original suit to take Muite to court. Muite has threatened to disclose details of the attack.

Yesterday, his lawyer Gitobu Imanyara said his client and Michuki had exchanged letters on the attack.