Will Raila disprove Miguna claims?
An African proverb goes ‘where there’s smoke, there’s fire’, and in the wake of the sensational book by Miguna Miguna, the former advisor to the Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the premier must come clean and honest on the massive allegations against him. In fact, in this case, there is more than smoke.
Miguna is a practising lawyer who is well aware of the gravity and consequences that libel bears if proven that it is indeed so. It is, therefore, evident in writing his Peeling Back the Mask: A Quest for Justice in Kenya, Miguna’s conscience is clear and above that must be accompanied by volumes of documented evidence and witnesses who can confirm the allegations given the opportunity to do so.
Secondly, for the period Miguna was the PM’s advisor on coalition matters, he must have been privy to information that any other rank and file wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed to. This, therefore, renders credence to the allegations he has made in his book.
For these and other reasons, the PM — and not ODM — must give his side of the story. We are used to the usual ODM reactionary statements heavily worded with legal parlance, political gibberish and plain humdrum. Simply put, Raila owes the citizenry a personal explanation and own account of the unfolding story.
The allegations should compel him to do the right thing and this should involve stepping aside pending investigations on graft, misuse of office, incompetence and gross misconduct as the ‘Kenyans 4 Honest Governance’ lobby group demanded on Sunday.
{Pamella Akoth, Kisumu}
Raila should not bury his head in the sand over the Miguna allegations. It is only right, if at all Raila upholds the reform spirit that he claims, that the PM takes both the moral and political obligation and responsibility and explain himself to Kenyans over the allegations.
In the spirit of new era and reforms, the nation cannot tolerate individuals implicated by deep allegations of corruption, incompetence, nepotism and sheer ineptness of fresh leadership that we yearn for. And being an aspirant in the coming polls, the PM must clear his name.
Whether true or not, the gravity of these allegations cannot be overemphasised. As he has always urged others in the past to do, Raila should do the most honourable thing and take responsibility to save face.
{Marcus Kipng’etich, Eldoret}
