Raila scoffs at Miguna call, to soldier on

By Evelyn Kwamboka

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has launched a fresh attack on Miguna Miguna one day after the former political aide’s return to the country. Raila sought to attack Miguna’s credibility even as the lawyer threatened to join forces with others who were interested in removing Raila from power.

Addressing supporters in Kisumu town’s Kondele area, the ODM leader repeated a parable about a madman who stole another man’s clothes that he has used in the past to describe his former advisor on coalition affairs.

The remarks came a day after Miguna promised to keep up pressure on the Prime Minister, who he accuses of various legal and political misdeeds. Addressing journalists at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Thursday evening, Miguna called on voters to retire unnamed “political dinosaurs” and “merchants of impunity” who are still trying to cling to power.

The combative lawyer pledged to work with others to this end, and welcomed any legal and political battles with Raila and his allies.

In apparent response, Raila had his audience in Kondele in stitches, as he talked about a man bathing in a river who noticed a madman come along and steal his clothes. His response was to jump out and chase after the lunatic.

“Who, among the two, appeared to be mad?” Raila asked. Echoing a line of argument taken by longtime ally Sarah Elderkin, the PM added. “A madman has taken my clothes but I will not run after him. I will buy new ones.”

Two weeks ago, at a rally in Kibera, Raila made the same reference to “a madman”, urging voters to ignore his allegations. The PM has previously said he does not intend to address any of Miguna’s claims.

In his recent book, Peeling Back The Mask, Miguna alleges instances of abuse of office, corruption, political trickery, and public deception orchestrated or covered up in Raila’s office.

Integrity debate

He accuses several ODM Cabinet members and key Raila aides of having gone to bed with “merchants of corruption”. He claims to have raised these issues with the PM to no avail. This, Miguna says, is proof of poor leadership and “deception, duplicity, and hypocrisy” in the Raila camp.

The new war of words with Miguna comes as Raila was drawn into the wider leadership and integrity debate around presidential hopefuls. Only this week, Raila, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi were enjoined in a suit seeking to bar allegedly unsuitable leaders from contesting the presidency.