Kinoti terms senator Malala’s death threats claim as fiction

Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala tears up when he appeared before a joint Senate committee yesterday over death threats he has allegedly received. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti has dismissed Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala’s claim of an assassination plot against him.

The senators had demanded that Kinoti appears before them to explain allegations that some legislators were being harassed by DCI officers and that some had even received death threats.

Kinoti appeared before a joint hearing of Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) and Security Committee yesterday, just moments after Malala had told the team of his alleged ordeal in the hands of police officers when he was arrested over the revenue sharing formula last month.

Nairobi senator Johnson Sakaja has also said he fears for his life.

Both Malala and Sakaja have claimed that some vehicles have been trailing them.

The same claims have been made by their Bomet counterpart Christopher Lagat who has asked the security bosses to assure him of his safety.

Dr Lagat’s security was withdrawn ahead of the vote on revenue formula following his dramatic arrest alongside Malala and Samburu’s Steve Lelegwe.

This forced Speaker Ken Lusaka to order the Inspector General to appear before the senators to explain the actions of his officers. And yesterday afternoon, Kinoti termed Malala’s allegations as fiction and asked the senator to substantiate them.

He said he does not know the three people Malala said are DCI officers threatening his life. This was after viewing pictures that had been provided by Malala.

The senator is also said to have provided the names and phone numbers of the said officers to the two committees, all of which Kinoti dismissed.

Mutula Kilonzo Jnr pressed Kinoti to provide information on why the number plate of the green Subaru that picked Malala on the day he was arrested was changed while at Nairobi area police.

He also demanded clarification on claims it was Malala who gave the officers who arrested him direction to his house.

Kinoti appeared before the senators after they abruptly adjourned a session where they were grilling Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai over the matter saying they would not continue until the DCI boss appeared before them.

The committee pressed Mutyambai to give details of the vehicles that have reportedly been trailing the senators.

Garissa Senator Yusuf Haji, who chairs the security committee, urged the IG to provide Malala with security. Mutyambai told JLAC, chaired by Nyamira Senator Okongo Omogeni, that the DCI did not accompany him because the issue touched on VIP security.

Malala told the committee that he has begged the county commissioner to give him security with no success.

He claimed he has written and made calls to responsible agencies but they have reportedly ignored him.

“We are aware a secret and specialized squad of the Special Service Unit (SSU) has been formed with express instructions to ‘keep an eye on or eliminate the senator. We have reliably been informed that the five members of this crack squad of assassin policemen has been tasked to eliminate the legislator,” reads a letter from Malalah and Company Advocates.

 

The senators said they are not taking the assassination claims lightly citing the mysterious deaths of legislators, including Senator Mutula Kilonzo, Robert Ouko, JM Karuiki, Tony Ndilinge and George Muchai. “The truth is very stubborn and there could be a feeling that the DCI wants to save his officers.

Honestly, from the bottom of my heart, I have established nothing concerning the claims,” Kinoti told the senators.

“We don’t have such officers in DCI. The senator has shown me three men. They could have been officers. As DCI or IG, we have not seen them. Even if it’s an identification parade, we are ready to do, “said Kinoti.

Mombasa Senator Mohammed Faki questioned the huge contingent of officers deployed to arrest the senators at night, while his Mandera counterpart Mahamud Mohamed demanded to know if someone was manipulation or misusing police officers.

“It seems there are unknown forces misusing the forces. They could be a parallel force that can be used by anybody that the DCI does not know,” said Mohamed.